WHA Union hits back

Dear Editor, Unite would like to respond to the letter (December 14 edition of the Wishaw Press) from an anonymous tenant of Wishaw and District Housing Association.

Our members at Wishaw and District Housing Association (WHA) work hard on behalf of local tenants and the wider community, maintaining high performance and ensuring tenants continue to receive good service and value for money.

Rents for WHA tenants are around five per cent lower than the North Lanarkshire average, and around 20 per cent less than the Scottish average.

In 2014 our members had their pensions massively reduced.

In 2016 all of our members suffered a pay cut, with the largest cut being in excess of £3,000 per annum.

On top of that there have been job cuts that have increased workloads for remaining staff, a reduction in bereavement allowance, and changes in rotas to allow the association’s office to remain open at lunch time.

Our members have been flexible and dealt with these massive changes with an open mind and with goodwill – but these latest cuts are the final straw for our members, and they are determined to resist them.

Our members deserve fair working conditions – and they deserve honesty from senior managers.

Sadly, all they all they have been offered is unwarranted attacks and spin.

Former WDHA vice-chair Eddie Mullen has resigned, saying that the chief executive has been ‘heavyhanded’. We agree.

Mr Mullen says that the Board instructed management to make our members an offer in an effort to settle the dispute.