One Housing

Unite the Union has formally notified One Housing Group (OHG) of its intention to ballot its members over pay cuts and downgrading.

This follows a three-year pay freeze amounting to a 13% cut. Workers are now being asked to accept massive cuts and wages lower than what they earned 15 years ago causing genuine hardship.

Management believes that because a few housing associations pay less than OHG, support workers’ wages should slide downwards.

But they never apply the same logic to themselves. They say ‘there are managers and chief executives being paid more than us so our wages must rise accordingly’.

The chief executive has accepted a £31,000 hike in pay and bonuses while asking 200 staff to accept cuts of up to £8,000 a year averaging £2,000.

These cuts will affect staff and their clients and communities as skill and experience is driven out of the care and support sector.

OHG has been awarded dozens of contracts by local authorities worth millions, the bulk of which covers workers’ wages. If they cut wages the question is ‘where is the money going?’

Strike action is likely to take place in mid June.