Dear comrades
Here’s the link for the members meeting at 1pm tomorrow
https://meet.google.com/cii-qeru-aca
I hope to see you there.
On 1 October, the energy price cap for an average home will increase to £3549. It’s likely to go up by a further 50% on 1 January 2023, reaching more than £5,000.
Is our pay going up by enough to cover the increase in domestic gas and electricity prices, besides the rising costs of everything else? Is it right that St Mungo’s workers, doing the essential work that we do, should have to worry about whether we can afford to heat our homes?
The current position of senior management at St Mungo’s is that it’s fine to follow the NJC, because the NJC wage increase for this year will be less derisory than last year’s. The NJC is likely to offer a pay rise of about £2000 for 2022/23, which is still not enough to cover this year’s inflation for most workers, but is better than the 1.75% rise imposed for 2021/22. St Mungo’s has offered to bring forward part of the increase, so that we receive it earlier in the financial year, without waiting for the NJC to finalise its decision. This is not additional money, but the same money paid slightly earlier.
But here’s the problem: once a real terms pay cut has taken effect, its impact lasts indefinitely, unless it is corrected. And unless pay keeps up with inflation, in real terms it’s a pay cut. So a big pay cut last year, followed by a small pay cut this year, means that we feel the effect of both cuts added together into the future, unless and until something is done about it. That’s why we have asked for an enhancement to NJC rates.
Over the past year, 80% of Unite pay disputes have had successful outcomes, bringing in a total of £150 million in pay increases for workers. Just like those workers, we will be strengthened by our membership of Britain’s strongest union if we have to go on strike. Some workers (those who are lower paid) will be better off financially while on strike pay than while working. We will always seek to avoid strike action where possible, but it is important to be aware that we have strong backing when we need it.
Representatives of St Mungo’s Unite will be meeting senior St Mungo’s management shortly in Stage 2 of the Disputes Avoidance procedure. We are there to represent you. Please attend the meeting tomorrow and tell us your views.
In solidarity
Jacob Sanders
Convenor
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