Housing labourers down tools over pay
MAINTENANCE workers who look after a housing association’s properties in Salford and Oldham have voted to strike.
The 75 electricians, plumbers, roofers, and labourers work for ForViva Housing Group.
In Salford they service 14,000 homes managed by ForHousing - formerly City West Housing Trust. The properties, including Craunton House and Kemball House in Eccles, were transferred from ownership of Salford council to City West in 2008.
The workers, employed by Liberty - a subsidiary of ForViva - are in dispute over pay, with their union demanding a wage of £28,500 for all trades. Together with another 25 staff based in Ellesmere Port and Knowsley, they held a ballot for industrial action. In a turnout of 61.5 per cent, 90.6pc voted for striking and 98.4pc for action short of walking out.
The workers, who are members of the Unite union, are angry that ForViva have given them no pay rise this year - even though the company’s highest earning director received £381,000 in 2018. Unison members are also in dispute. In a joint letter to ForViva, Salford’s City Mayor, Paul Dennett, Worsley MP Barbara Keeley and Salford MP Rebecca Long Bailey say: “If the unions’ claims are correct, then they leave grave concerns regarding the treatment of Liberty staff.
“We have heard reports of a target driven culture which is driving high rates of sickness and stress, lack of formal union recognition going back many years, and I understand the staff transferred from the council have received no pay award for three years - meaning an effective pay cut year on year.
“In addition to this, we have been made aware of high earnings at the top of the company amongst senior staff - with £3.2m paid in executive director pay, including three staff members above £300,000.
“We understand that Liberty states its profits are not high enough to remunerate all staff at the levels requested in the union’s submission to the pay consultation. However ForViva Group Ltd, of which Liberty is a subsidiary, registered profits of £12.4m in 2017/18.”
Jack Youd, of the Unite union, said: “Liberty’s tradesmen and women are performing duties outside of their contract which is creating savings for the business and delivering a better service for tenants. These are tradesmen are carrying out multiple trades despite not being paid for multi skilling.”
A spokesman for Liberty said: “We pride ourselves on strong performance and delivering great services to clients and their tenants. We place a very high value on positive industrial relations and will review the results of the ballot and continue our dialogue with the union.”