More than 6000 staff at the Shelter charity have started their own campaign of a fortnight of industrial strike action which trades union Unite calls “a bitter dispute over pay.”

Shelter’s senior management team has ‘enforced’ a three per cent pay rise in 2022 which according to Unite has resulted in many of its workers being unable to afford their rent and fearing the possibility of ending up on the streets.

A statement from the union says: “The imposed pay deal is a huge real terms pay cut of 11 per cent with the true inflation rate (RPI) now standing at 14.2 per cent. The dispute has become increasingly bitter as the charity’s management has refused to enter into meaningful negotiations with representatives of Unite over this year’s pay deal and has instead sought to impose one-off payments and real terms pay cuts for the next 16 months.”

Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham says: “It is unforgivable that workers at Shelter find themselves actually being haunted by the prospect of being made homeless. Shelter has sufficient reserves to pay its hardworking and dedicated staff a decent par rise but it has chosen not to. Our members at Shelter will receive Unite’s complete and unyielding support in their fight for a better deal.”

The strike campaign will finish on Friday 16th December.

Last week peace talks at the conciliation service ACAS amounted to nothing and according to the union Shelter’s management team would not increase the current pay offer, and instead expected its proposal of a pay increase of four per cent in 2023/24 to be accepted. The charity’s representatives also stated that there will be no further pay increases until April 2024.

Unite states the current increase in real terms represents a significant pay cut of 10 per cent for its workers.

With ever increasing inflation, energy and cost of living rises the union says that Shelter’s pay rises proposal over the next two years will represent a 21 per cent pay cut for its staff,  and it expects April 2024’s pay review could make the workers’ situation even worse.

Unite claims that when it gave the Shelter management workers’ testimonies fearing eviction or being unable to afford to keep the house warm with a new-born baby as well as taking on increasing debt,  the management withdrew its offer.

The union’s statement continues: “Unite believes that Shelter is fully able to make a fair pay offer. Its reserves last year stood at around £14.5m, substantially higher than its target reserves of £8.9m.”

Unite refers to one of the striking staff members as saying: “At the very base level, absolute bare minimum, those working for a housing charity shouldn't be experiencing housing insecurity as a result of being unable to pay rent.”

Another staff member, says: “I'm a single parent. I'm now in overdraft every month. I go around switching my lights off. I have turned my boiler down. I get stressed when the kids’ school wants me to pay for another school trip. The best acknowledgement my employer can give me for all my hard work is decent pay.”