Strike Held at the Homes & Communities Agency

Latest update: Wednesday 11th July: Gather at Homes England headquarters on 12th July

Unite's national organising team will be at the Homes England headquarters (Windsor House, 42-50 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0TL) on Thursday morning making videos to help publicise the strike action. London members and supporters are encouraged to make their way there between 8am and 9am instead of going to Marsham Street.

The Manchester picket line gets off to a bright and early start!

Unite Assistant General Secretary Gail Cartmail (2nd left) was one of the early morning visitors to the Marsham Street picket line.

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Members of Unite, the UK’s largest union, employed at the Homes and Communities Agency will began a three day strike on Tuesday 10th July in a dispute over pay. The following statement was issued by Unite's national press department:

Pay Freezes

The staff at the agency, which comprises Homes England and the Regulator of Social Housing, have suffered years of pay freezes and below inflation pay increases, due to the government’s austerity measures which have resulted in them being thousands of pounds poorer in real terms.

The strike will begin at 00:01 hours on Tuesday 10 July and will end at 23.59 on Thursday 12 July.

Despite the pay freezes for staff the agency has found funding to make several high-paid senior appointments. This has resulted in a dramatic increase in the gap between the highest and lowest paid staff at the agency.

The dispute also concerns the agency’s failure to tackle the gender pay gap.

Pay review unacceptable

Despite attempts by Unite to resolve the dispute, via negotiation the HCA management have refused to put anything on the table which goes beyond the government’s guidance of a 1-1.5 per cent pay award. Instead they have tried to kick the issue into the long grass by offering a pay review, which will take two years to report.
 

Last resort

Unite regional officer Adam Lambert said: “Unite members are taking strike action as an absolute last resort as management has refused to listen to our concerns and has failed to enter into meaningful negotiations.

“After a decade of falling living standards a proposal for a pay review is far too little too late. Our members will not accept further real terms pay cuts.

“Nor are they prepared to wait another two years before the HCA even begins to start tackling the gender pay gap.

“It is essential that the HCA’s management understands the strength of feeling among staff, returns to the negotiating table as quickly as possible and puts forward a realistic pay offer.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Picket lines will be held between 08:00 – 11:00 at the following locations:

•    Fry Building, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF
•    Windsor House, 42-50 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0TL
•    5 St Philips Place, Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2PW
•    Level 1A, City Tower, Piccadilly Plaza Manchester M1 4BT.

For background on this dispute see here and here