The trade union Unite has said it is currently preparing for an industrial action ballot at RSPCA, but that no formal notification has been issued.
The RSPCA's management have been embroiled in a dispute with Unite, which has accused management of putting pressure on staff to accept new contracts or face being sacked.
The union has said management’s proposals to abandon an incremental pay scheme with a performance-related pay arrangement could “exacerbate plummeting staff morale in an organisation where bullying has been endemic”.
A Unite spokesperson said: “Unite is currently in the early stages of preparing for an industrial action ballot. No formal notification has been issued for an industrial action ballot.
“Unite is still in negotiations with the RSPCA and the union believes that this matter can be resolved through a negotiated settlement.”
Fewer than 500 staff sign contracts
The charity previously said that it was unlikely that any performance-related pay will be in place for all employees before April 2022. It had also denied that current base pay will be affected.
Unite has said it understands that less than 500, of the charity's 1,700 staff, have signed the new contracts.
It was understood staff were asked to do so by 20 December last year, but the charity have said they expect more staff will sign in the coming weeks.
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “The Society is comfortable with the number of contracts which have been signed to date, they are in line with our expectations and this number is increasing on a daily basis.
“The Society focus will continue to be supporting individual employees through this process and encouraging them to sign their individual contracts. We look forward to continuing to receive more signed contracts over the coming days and weeks.”
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