Action For Children Charity workers to vote on strike action in pay dispute

By The Press Association22nd January 2016News EnglandCharities, Childrens Services, News England, Pay, Pay and Conditions, Strike

Staff at a charity are to be balloted for industrial action in a row over pay.

Unite and Unison said their members at Action For Children will vote in the coming weeks on whether to launch a campaign of strikes or other forms of action.

The unions accused the management of planning to impose a 1% pay rise and cut mileage rates, while refusing to pay the voluntary living wage.

Unite national officer Sally Kosky said: “What we have here is an all too common case of a profitable organisation, with highly paid executives, unwilling to give a decent pay rise to our members. Average pay of the workforce has fallen in real terms by 52% since 2010/11.

“The management is behaving in a high-handed manner trying to bulldoze a wholly inadequate pay offer onto our members and point blank refusing to involve Acas in the dispute. Just because people work for a charity they don’t deserve the prospect of poverty wages.”

Unison officer Simon Watson added: “Action For Children claims that it is strapped for cash, yet it has managed to find the money to increase the number of its highest paid managers. Meanwhile staff haven’t had a pay rise in six years.

“The decision to move to a ballot for action is always a reluctant one, but despite over a year of negotiations, the charity still refuses to see sense. As a result many employees are being forced into extreme hardship.”

Sir Tony Hawkhead, chief executive at Action for Children, said: “The role that trade unions represent in the work place is highly regarded by Action for Children. Throughout the whole extended process during which we have been in discussions with the unions, we have made every effort to reach an agreement.

“In the current operating climate, Action for Children has considered the various affordable possibilities available to it.

“The board and senior management agreed that the best way forward, with the limited budget available, was to use it for those members of staff who would otherwise receive almost nothing. Other staff would still receive their standard increment as they progress within their salary band.”