NEW: 600 staff at housing charity Shelter go on strike over low pay

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Over 600 staff at the UK’s large housing charity Shelter are to stage an unprecedented four-week strike over low pay.

Organised through their membership of their union Unite, the strike follows a bitter dispute over the issue, it says.

This follows Shelter’s decision to impose a 3% pay increase this year which, Unite claims, has left many of its own staff being unable to pay their rent leaving some facing the possibility of being homeless. 

A statement issued over the weekend by Unite claims that Shelter’s management “has refused to enter into meaningful negotiations with representatives of Unite over this year’s pay deal and has instead sought to impose one-off payments and real terms pay cuts for the next 16 months”.

Unforgivable

Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham (pictured) adds: “It is unforgivable that workers at Shelter find themselves actually being haunted by the prospect of being made homeless.

“Shelter has sufficient reserves to pay its hardworking and dedicated staff a decent par rise but it has chosen not to.

“Our members at Shelter will receive Unite’s complete and unyielding support in their fight for a better deal.”
Despite having cash reserves of some £14 million, Shelter last week declined to increase its pay deal for this year, instead proposing a pay increase of four per cent for 2023/24 with no further pay increase for staff until April 2024.

Shelter says it has given all its staff a one-off payment of £1,500 this year to help them cope with the cost-of-living crisis, adding that: ““Our ambition remains trying to support colleagues through this difficult period, while being able to deliver our front-line services and campaign work.

Read more about Shelter.

“As a Real Living Wage employer, Shelter is also implementing the Real Living Wage Foundation’s increase of 10.1 per cent from December 2022, much earlier than required, benefiting the colleagues who receive this at the earliest opportunity.”

Pic credit: Shelter.

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