Shelter staff vote to strike over pay

HUNDREDS of workers at housing charity Shelter are staging a strike over pay next month amid claims some are unable to afford their rent.

More than 500 staff at the charity are expected to walk out for two weeks beginning on Dec 5, union Unite said, following a vote by workers.

The union criticised a pay proposal by Shelter management that would have raised staff pay by 3pc, saying it was a “huge real-terms pay cut”. Staff were also given a £1,500 one-off payment.

The union quoted one worker at the charity who said they were going into debt every month. Another said: “Those working for a housing charity shouldn’t be experiencing housing insecurity as a result of being unable to pay rent.”

Shelter says on its website that it is an accredited living wage employer. For a fulltime employee on this rate, working 37.5 hours every week, this would mean a national minimum wage of around £1,609 per month.

Meanwhile, rent prices have spiralled across the UK, with the average national asking rent for all properties outside Greater London hitting £1,162 per month in the third quarter of 2022, up 11pc. Average London rents are £2,343, a 16pc jump.