{"id":2057,"date":"2014-10-30T13:17:40","date_gmt":"2014-10-30T13:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=2057"},"modified":"2014-10-31T10:53:05","modified_gmt":"2014-10-31T10:53:05","slug":"charity-staff-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=2057","title":{"rendered":"Charity staff fight on"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Just how bad does it have to be before loyal, dedicated charity staff believe they have no other option than to go on strike? And not just for one day \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but for 17 whole days?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

That is the situation now facing staff at homeless charity St Mungo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Broadway (SMB) as they prepare for a further 10 days of strike action \u00e2\u20ac\u201c they have recently ended seven days of action.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite announced today (Thursday 30 October) that its 650 members at the Hammersmith-based charity, would be striking from 08.00 on Wednesday November 5, until 07.59 on Saturday November 15.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The members are fighting to preserve both quality services for the homeless and to roll-back management\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s attack on their pay, and terms and conditions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The crux of the dispute is what Unite calls \u00e2\u20ac\u0098a bizarre coup d\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u0102\u00a9tat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 which saw Broadway, a \u00e2\u20ac\u0098struggling\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 organisation of 200 employees making year on year deficits merging with the highly successful 1,000-strong St Mungo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Blatant unfairness<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite has said there is a blatant unfairness between huge pay rises that the top bosses have received recently \u00e2\u20ac\u201c including the \u00c2\u014130,000 pocketed by Howard Sinclair \u00e2\u20ac\u201c while new project workers have seen their pay slashed by \u00c2\u01415,000 to \u00c2\u014120,000-a-year.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Other adverse changes for staff include the removal of pay negotiations from collective bargaining; procedural changes which compromise employees\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 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.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The dispute is now the subject of a House of Commons early day motion (EDM) with MPs supporting the workers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 stand.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Local councillors and commissioners from several local authorities, including Camden, Hackney, Ealing, and Lewisham, who commission services from St Mungo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s specifically because they seek a high quality provider, are concerned about how these contracts will now be fulfilled to an adequate standard.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The social housing regulator, the homes and communities agency, has been contacted regarding issues relating to governance, procurement and the alleged misuse of public funds.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite regional officer, Nicky Marcus explained.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe new SMB senior executive team provided Unite with \u00e2\u20ac\u0098doctored\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 accounts designed to obscure a \u00c2\u0141157,538 pay-off, for the former CEO of St Mungo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s, Charles Fraser, in addition to his hefty salary. Mr Fraser was retiring regardless of the merger.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know, as yet, what other pay-offs have been made.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nicky added that the charity\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s top executives are refusing to provide details of their own salary hikes \u00e2\u20ac\u201c\u00c2\u00a0 although Unite is aware that new chief executive Howard Sinclair\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s increase is \u00c2\u014130,000.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI think that most of their donors would be appalled to know where their hard-earned money is going,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Nicky.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Disgust<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIndeed, many of them have contacted us to voice their disgust at the new management\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s approach and the cheap labour model they have introduced \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and are considering withdrawing their funding.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bFifteen years ago St Mungo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s property portfolio was valued at \u00c2\u0141101m and they have continued to buy property ever since. I can only imagine what it is worth today.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis is not about there being no money available. It is about a re-distribution of wealth.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At a mass meeting this week, the staff \u00e2\u20ac\u201c addressed by Unite general secretary Len McCluskey, voted to take the further strike action.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Len McCluskey emphasised the vital importance of the strike, not only for both current and future workers and the clients at SMB, but for all involved in the supported housing and social care sector.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He pledged the union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s full support \u00e2\u20ac\u015bin every way possible, in a pivotal dispute that is really about respect; respect for vulnerable people and the workers that care for them.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite members remain resolute. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe fact that our members are prepared to take 17 days of strike action shows the complete failure of the new management team to engage with our members who look after some of the most vulnerable members in society,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Nicky Marcus.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf Howard Sinclair and his team seriously wish to resolve this dispute, they need only pick up the phone or arrange a meeting with the conciliation service, Acas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just how bad does it have to be before loyal, dedicated charity staff believe they have no other option than to go on strike? And not just for one day \u00e2\u20ac\u201c but for 17 whole days?   That is the situation now facing staff at homeless charity St Mungo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Broadway (SMB) as they prepare for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[131],"wps_subtitle":"Pay fairness and quality service for homeless at stake","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2057"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2060,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2057\/revisions\/2060"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}