Unite housing workers’ branch
A month-long strike at St Mungo’s homelessness charity starts on Monday 24 April. Workers are struggling to pay the rent, but bosses haven’t resolved a pay dispute going back to 2021. 93% voted for strike action.
Dedicated charity workers, who are on the streets helping the homeless every night, have been left with no other choice. Unite the Union balloted over 500 workers across southern England, including in London, Bristol, Brighton, Oxford, Bournemouth and Reading.
The workers are fed up with highly paid management at the top, while at the bottom they struggle to make ends meet. Since 2013, the pay of St Mungo’s chief executives has spiralled 77%, up from £107,000 to more than £189,000. The homelessness charity won’t reveal the salary of the newly appointed CEO, Emma Haddad.
In the last ten years, the pay of senior management has increased by 350%! In stark contrast, over a similar time frame, the real value of the wages of St Mungo’s workers has plummeted by 25%. A frontline worker earns around £26,000.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “St Mungo’s workers are dedicated to helping the homeless, but they can’t afford to pay their own rent. Our members are ready for a sustained campaign of action and they have Unite’s full support. The workers know the charity can afford to give workers a fair pay deal, and Unite is firmly on their side.”
The charity bosses imposed a 1.75% increase for 2021, and despite a year of negotiations they have refused to budge, except for an unconsolidated £700 payment. But the charity’s total reserves as of 31 March 2022 were almost £15 million, and the latest year-end cash balance was £22.5 million.
