Trade union Unite has criticised the “slow” pace of talks with Oxfam on a pay progression deal following strike action last year, and launched a petition.
Oxfam employees took strike action in December last year for the first time in the charity’s more than 80-year history, but this was suspended after the charity put forward an improved pay offer.
Unite said the deal, which was made to end the dispute, had two key areas, one part of which was the pay deal itself and the other an agreement to implement pay progression.
A spokesperson for the £400m charity said it would continue to meet union representatives to establish a plan for a new pay progression model that is “affordable and sustainable for an organisation of Oxfam’s complexity and size”.
Petition ‘putting pressure on management’
The union said its petition, which has received over 250 signatures so far, was intended to put pressure on Oxfam’s management.
Its petition reads: “We, the signatories to this petition, call on Oxfam to honour its commitment given to its workforce via the 2024 Unite/ACAS agreement on pay progression.”
A spokesperson for the union told Civil Society: “Oxfam has not properly addressed this commitment and it is now clear this commitment won’t be met.
“There are talks ongoing around pay progression but progress is slow.
“We have no sign of any deal at this stage and the campaign is aimed at putting pressure on management.
“There is a petition which is live and open for anyone to sign.”
They said a plan for pay progression should be finalised by August and delivered as soon as possible after that.
Oxfam: New pay model must be affordable
An Oxfam spokesperson said: “In the last few weeks, we have worked with unions and staff to agree on the latest pay package.
“We continue to meet with our union representatives to establish a plan for a new pay progression model that is affordable and sustainable for an organisation of Oxfam’s complexity and size.
“We are committed to working in close collaboration with both of our established unions on issues that affect our colleagues.”
Oxfam has a commitment to pay a real living wage to all its UK employees, as set by the Living Wage Foundation.
The average headcount number for employees at Oxfam was more than 4,000 (including those overseas) according to the charity’s most recent accounts.
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