We’re no Little Red Riding Hood

Furious staff at London based housing charity St Mungo’s Broadway have unanimously voted to take seven days of strike action.

Action will begin at 08.00 on Friday October 17 in a dispute over cuts to pay for new starters and changes to policies and procedures governing working conditions for all staff.

The workers are furious at changes imposed by the new management team imported from Broadway, the junior partner in the recent merger.

“The sheer arrogance of Howard Sinclair, the new CEO, is simply intolerable to our members,” said Nicky Marcus, Unite regional officer. “Our members have given us a clear mandate that they will not stand for these significantly detrimental changes.”

The changes implemented by new management include a downgrade in salaries for new starters, the removal of pay negotiations from collective bargaining and re-grading roles to deskilled lower paid versions.

“Our members feel so strongly that they have voted to strike for a full seven days; losing a full weeks pay because they insist that the changes imposed by management are wrong for the staff, the organisation and the future of the vulnerable people in their care,” added Nicky Marcus.

Management also want to enforce procedural changes which will compromise employees’ ability to defend themselves in disciplinaries and grievances and make it easier for management to force through redundancies.

“Howard Sinclair, who recently told the press that he keeps a wolf mask hanging in his office for use at union meetings is about to find out that Unite is no Little Red Riding Hood,” said Nicky Marcus.