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Peabody call centre staff have opted against industrial action after reaching an agreement with the housing association over a proposal to move the centre’s office outside of London.
Unite the Union said that the majority of its members working at Peabody’s call centre in central London had voted to strike over a proposed move of the office next spring to Pitsea in Essex – 30 miles away from the current base.
However, the action has now been called off after Peabody put forward an offer to staff members which would see it increase retention payments by 5% and pay full travel costs for relocated staff for the next two years.
Tabusam Ahmed, regional officer for Unite, said: “We moved from a situation where there was basically nothing on the table for the great upheaval our members face in travelling 30 miles to Pitsea to a good offer that our members voted to accept.
“This significant victory sends a strong message to other housing associations across the UK that Unite will always stand up for its thousands of members working in this sector.”
A Peabody spokesperson said the negotiation had been "very positive" and hoped the 15 union members which voted for action were pleased with the outcome.
He said: “We understand that not everyone will want to travel to the new location, which is why we always wanted to find an agreement on free travel and retention bonuses in addition to pay in lieu of notice should people still wish to leave.”