Dear Comrades
Two events this week:
1. Migrant Strategy Member Concerns 25/01/23 at 12pm
At 12pm on Wednesday 25 January, UNITE is hosting a joint forum with the BAME Network to give members and others the opportunity to speak to Emma Haddad about St Mungo’s future approach to vulnerable migrants in view of Emma’s previous work as Director General for Asylum and Protection at the Home Office, and St Mungo’s problematic history in relation to immigration.
This event is open to all St Mungo’s workers, whether they are members of Unite and/or the BAME Network or not. Both Emma Haddad, Chief Executive, and Stephanie Ratcliffe, Head of Migrant Services, will be present to answer questions. Here’s the link to attend:
Meet.google.com/dcx-twib-ore(25 January at 12pm)
Since the email I sent last week, Emma Haddad has been in touch to point out what she feels were inaccuracies in that email. The Napier facility was already running when Emma arrived, so she was not involved in setting it up, although she was involved in running it.
Perhaps more subjectively, Emma does not think her role at the Home Office meant that she was involved in implementing the Government’s ‘hostile environment’ strategy.
Our concerns are with St Mungo’s future activities in relation to vulnerable migrants. The significance of past involvement in this area – both of the CEO and St Mungo’s itself – relates to the concerns held by many people, including members of Unite and of the BAME Network, regarding how St Mungo’s will work with vulnerable migrants in the future.
Questions may be sent in advance to bamenetworkexeccommitte@MUNGOS.ORG or asked on the day. You can ask questions anonymously and if you would rather not use St Mungo’s email system, please send them from a non-Mungo’s email address to jacob.sanders@unitetheunion.org. Let me know if you would like your question to be anonymous and I will pass on the question without any identifying information.
I look forward to seeing you there.
2. Unite Panel Meeting 26/01/23 at 7pmWe are in the midst of a crisis that is affecting workers across every sector. Inflation levels are at record highs, bills are increasing dramatically and the cost of living continues to grow – all while ordinary people are experiencing real terms pay cuts and struggling to live
. The government and senior bosses refuse to listen.
Finally however, people are getting organised and fighting back – and, crucially, winning. Nurses, teachers, ambulance drivers, transport workers, civil service workers, firefighters and more – all are standing up.
Here at St Mungo’s – and across the homeless sector – the situation is no different. Workers at Shelter recently resorted to strike action after demanding a 7% pay rise, as well as a £1250 one-off payment. They won.
Hestia workers are continuing their strike action against poverty pay, unrealistic workloads and anti-union bullying.
We have asked for a below-inflation, 10% pay rise for all workers at St Mungo’s. As senior management still refuses to negotiate, we are moving ever closer to the prospect of strike action.
In light of this, we would like to invite you to a panel
meeting on Zoom, Thursday 26 January at 7pm, to hear from Unite members at St Mungo’s, as well as from other trade union activists within the homeless sector that have been campaigning against pay cuts, to share experience and discuss how we can win in our own workplace. The meeting is open to anyone, regardless of where they work or whether they are yet a member of Unite. There will also be a section for questions and contributions. Here’s the link to attend:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88140806566 (26 January at 7pm)
Meeting ID is 881 4080 6566
We hope to see you there.
In solidarity,
Jacob Jacob SandersUnite Convenor, St Mungo’s
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