Workers at the homelessness charity St Mungo’s will extend their month-long strike “indefinitely” as many are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, their union has said.
Unite the Union today announced that staff at the charity will begin an indefinite strike from 27 June over pay.
In March, the Union balloted 578 staff members across southern England, of which 382 voted yes to a four-week strike action starting 24 April and ending 21 May.
The strike was later suspended after the charity made a revised pay offer to staff.
However, parties were unable to resolve the dispute and staff began a strike on 30 May, which is set to end on 26 June, the day before the new industrial action will commence.
St Mungo’s chief executive said that the charity is in “the middle of discussions aimed at finding a solution”.
Unite: Charity has a ‘do nothing approach’
Unite blamed the decision to extend the strike indefinitely on the charity’s “do-nothing approach to negotiations” and “ongoing indifference of management and trustees”.
The union said that St Mungo’s has refused to improve a 2.25% pay rise offer, with the pay dispute going back to 2021 when a 1.75% increase was offered to staff.
Unite said: “Many of the workers are now in fear themselves after being unable to pay their rent or mortgage on their current poverty wage.
“The indifference of the management and trustees to their own staff smacks of the corporatisation of the charity sector.”
‘Management and trustees are displaying astonishing callousness’
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “St Mungo’s workers are taking indefinite strike action because management and the trustees are displaying astonishing callousness.
“This attitude is corporate Britain meets the charity sector. The workers know St Mungo’s can afford to improve front-line workers’ pay. That’s why the blame for this indefinite strike lies with St Mungo’s management and board.
“I want to make it absolutely clear that the workers have Unite’s ongoing support.”
Unite regional officer Steve O’Donnell added: “The workers at St Mungo’s are sending a powerful message to management and trustees. They haven’t taken this decision likely – they have been driven to this.”
He continued: “There’s no doubt that St Mungo’s is disgracefully failing the homeless by its do-nothing approach to negotiations. Let’s hope management will now listen.”
St Mungo’s: ‘We’re in the middle of discussions’
Emma Haddad, chief executive of St Mungo’s, said that it was “unexpected to hear that Unite the Union has extended its period of strike action indefinitely”.
“We are in the middle of discussions aimed at finding a solution and had a constructive meeting with Unite representatives on 12 June,” she added.
“Bringing an end to this unprecedented period of industrial action remains our key priority, so we can all focus on working together to support people at risk of, or recovering from, homelessness.”
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