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Repair workers at housing subsidiary vote to strike over pay

Housing maintenance workers in Greater Manchester and Liverpool have voted to strike over a pay dispute.

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Picture: Getty
Picture: Getty
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One hundred housing maintenance workers in the North West have voted to strike over pay #ukhousing

The 100 electricians, plumbers, roofers and labourers work for Liberty, a subsidiary of social organisation ForViva, which also owns 24,000-home housing association ForHousing.

The workers, who are members of the Unite union, say that they have not had a pay rise this year – even though the Liberty’s highest-earning director earned £381,000 last year.

Two MPs and Paul Dennett, city mayor of Salford, have written to the association expressing concern over the claims.

Liberty said it places “a very high value on positive industrial relations” and that it will continue a dialogue with Unite.

The 75 workers in Salford and Oldham, along with 25 others working in Ellesmere Port and Knowsley, held a ballot for industrial action. The union is demanding a wage of £28,500 for all trades.

In a turnout of 61.5%, 90.6% voted for striking and 98.4% for action short of walking out.

Unison members are also in dispute.


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The unions are claiming that Liberty’s workers are performing duties outside of their contracts which are creating savings for the business and delivering a better service for tenants.

The workers are carrying out multiple trades despite not being paid for multi-skilling, they say.

In a joint letter to ForViva, Mr Dennett, Worsley MP Barbara Keeley and MP for Salford and Eccles Rebecca Long Bailey said the union’s claims left “grave concerns regarding the treatment of Liberty staff”.

“We have heard reports of a target driven culture which is driving high rates of sickness and stress, lack of formal union recognition going back many years, and I understand the staff transferred from the council have received no pay award for three years – meaning an effective pay cut year on year,” the letter said.

It added that Liberty has claimed that “its profits are not high enough to remunerate all staff at the levels requested”.

“In addition to this, we have been made aware of high earnings at the top of the company amongst senior staff – with £3.2m paid in executive director pay, including three staff members above £300,000,” the politicians wrote.

Ray Jones, managing director at Liberty, said: “We are disappointed with the union’s decision to move forward with this ballot given the offer Liberty has made to our repairs and maintenance operatives.

“At Liberty we pride ourselves on strong performance and delivering great services to clients and their tenants.

“We place a very high value on positive industrial relations and will review the results of the ballot and continue our dialogue with the union.”

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