Please do what you can to support our comrades at Sanctuary as their dispute continues.
The information below is from the Unite Housing Workers’ website www.housingworkers.org.uk/
You can sign a letter to Sanctuary management here.
Pass it on via your networks.
Workers will be striking on
Wednesday 10 April to Friday 12 April
Monday 15, Wednesday 17, Friday 19 April
Monday 22, Wednesday 24, Friday 26 April
Find pickets, strike activities and how to help here
Strike fund
The bank details are as follows:
Account Number: 20040626
Sort Code: 608301
Account Name: Unite Housing Workers LE/1111 Branch
Please make it clear that the money is for the Sanctuary Strike when sending donations.
Management agree ACAS talks
Members at Sanctuary Housing delivered rock solid strike action and followed that up by announcing escalation with further strikes starting on March 20th.
Pickets were well attended, and strikers were moved by expressions of support and donations from tenants. Given Sanctuary’s refusal to recognise Unite the fact that they have now accepted an invitation from the government conciliation service, ACAS, to talks marks a significant step forward.
They are striking for union recognition, decent pay and for fair working time arrangements.
Further action
Unite rep Charles Christodoulou writes:
It was raining hard as I approached the picket line at 7.10am. Originally, I thought: ‘There’s no one here.’ I could see our Unite branch chair, Paul, standing, waiting… and then they started to flock in. Until we were at 27!
I thought to myself: ‘We are ready now’. About half an hour in, our senior management came towards us with a shocked face. They didn’t expect so many, raising our morale.
We were here to fight for recognition of our union, and also our pay rise. We received a pay cut last year – RPI inflation was at 11.4%, we received 4%. We now know we have been given 4% again, a further pay cut. And now we are also seeking parity with the office staff for our holidays and sickness benefits.
We were contacted by workers in Canterbury asking to join the union. Our colleagues in Essex were asked by management to cover some of our jobs, and they asked: ‘Why do we have to cover London jobs?’ When they were told it was because we are striking, they refused to cross our picket line, and this lifted all our spirits.
We have now given notice for further action which will start on 20 March, a further week split over two weeks, and I see this as an opportunity to engage with the areas that have approached us. We can join them up to the union. This year’s campaign for pay will be with our brothers and sisters in Ely, Canterbury, Essex, Rochford and Oxfordshire. I hope with the support of Unite!
Support pledged
Steve O’Donnell, London and Eastern Regional Secretary of Unite, joined the picket and pledged support for the strike. Members of the branch distributed leaflets on some Sanctuary estates before the strike explaining the issues. Tenants came out of their homes to tell leaflitters how much they supported the workers. On the picket line tenants brought money and some home-baked cakes.
New members have been joining Unite around the country. We have also had interest from housing maintenance workers in other housing associations; many have similar issues to those in the London Sanctuary maintenance team. Contact us on info@housingworkers.org.uk if you want to get organised.
We will discuss all this at our branch agm on Saturday March 23rd – all members welcome. The next strike days are Wednesday 20th March, Thursday 21st, Friday 22nd and then Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th.
Read more about Unite in Sanctuary here
Leave a Reply