‘Management have to listen’

This week (February 8-14) is Heart Unions, a week that celebrates all that we love about our trade unions. Our Heart Unions series on UniteLive will feature one trade unionist’s story each day.

In Part 1, we speak to Stewart Hall, who along with hundreds of others, went on strike and forced their employer, housing charity St Mungo’s Broadway, to listen.

The Tories want to shift the balance of power in the workplace in favour of bad bosses.

Without strong unions to support them, the UK’s millions of workers will be left at risk of exploitation by their employer.

One of the things the bill threatens is the basic right to strike. Employers will be able to bring in agency staff to cover employees on strike, undermining the strike and with the risk of safety implications.

Although going on strike is a last resort for trade unions and their members they are hugely important and have helped shape decent working conditions and terms and conditions for many workers.

Stewart Hall, has worked for housing charity St Mungo’s Broadway for 7 years and is a Unite rep.

“In October 2014 I went on strike with 649 other members of staff from the charity to protect our pay and terms and conditions,” he said.

St Mungo’s had merged with another housing charity, Broadway to form St Mungo’s Broadway, and new management tried to remove pay from collective bargaining and lower salaries for new starters without proper negotiations.

“In cases such as this being able to strike is vital to protecting members pay and conditions,” said Sally Kosky, Unite national officer for the voluntary sector.

“There was a blatant unfairness between huge pay rises for the top bosses while new project workers had their pay slashed by £5,000 to £20,000-a-year,” she added.

Other adverse changes for staff included procedural changes which compromised employees’ ability to defend themselves in disciplinary and grievance hearings; making it easier for management to force through redundancies; re-grading roles to de-skilled lower paid versions and sidelining the union entirely.

The dispute became subject of a House of Commons early day motion (EDM) with MPs supporting the workers’ stand.

“All of this would not have been possible without a strong union behind them,” said Sally.

Unite members at St Mungo’s voted by an overwhelming 95.9 per cent in favour of strike action.

“It was tough. It was right before Christmas. But we stood strong with our union and management backed down,” said Stewart.

Management agreed to reverse the cuts it had first sought to impose and to honour all collective agreements made with Unite prior to the merger.

“I’m so proud of what we achieved for our members,” said Stewart.

“I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for my union none of us would be where we are now. This is proof that union representation gives you a collective voice. Management have to listen then,” he added.