Dear colleagues
After our big strike win in 2014, the most senior people at St Mungo’s realised that they were out of touch with the workforce and decided to start dropping in on team meetings. On a recent visit to Brighton, one member of the Leadership team opened the conversation by saying
‘Unite are adamant there’s more money…I just don’t see it’
This is what St Mungo’s senior management said in 2014 immediately before they ended the strike by finding more money. It is what Shelter staff were told two months ago, immediately before their bosses ended a strike by finding more money. It is what virtually every group of workers has ever been told, right before their bosses realised that finding more money was the only way to end a dispute.
Let’s take a brief look at St Mungo’s finances, starting with a quote from St Mungo’s most recent Annual Report, which is for 2021/22. It’s been quoted before but bears repeating:
“As a charity cash is our primary financial indicator, at £22.5m it is above the Trustee set range of £14m -£18m.”
Let’s be clear about what this means: as at 31 March 2022, the minimum amount of cash needed to cover likely expenditure through the coming financial year, as well as being ready to cover unknown contingencies, was £14 million. The actual amount in the bank was £22.5 million.
When we pointed out to St Mungo’s Directors that this didn’t fit with what they were telling us about finances, there followed a three month sulk in which they refused to discuss the issue. Then they said that the cash balance fluctuates through the year. It does, but the £14 million minimum set by the Board of Trustees is calculated to take account of that. And the actual amount in the bank was £22.5 million.
Trustees are meeting at TMS at 1pm today, maybe to see if they can come up with some more plausible excuses. St Mungo’s workers will be gathering outside TMS from 11.45 this morning to be ready to greet them. If you see people outside TMS with Unite placards, please stop for a chat or give them a friendly wave.
Over the last year, Unite members have won pay disputes time and time again. St Mungo’s workers are not asking for anything unreasonable, just for the pay cut of 2021/22 to be reversed. If we stand together, we can achieve that.
Best wishes
Jacob
Unite Convenor, St Mungo’s
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