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30,000 homes to be impacted by repair worker strike

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Maintenance services for 30,000 homes could be impacted as 200 West Midlands repair workers strike over pay.

Credit: Guilherme Cunha / Unsplash

Unite the Union announced that gas engineers, electricians, construction workers and admin staff from Birmingham-based developer Citizen Housing are set to strike over November, starting at the end of this month.

Critical maintenance and repair services for more than 30,000 homes in Birmingham, Coventry, Worcester and Hereford are expected to be impacted due to the strike.

This includes residences in Birmingham’s Lee Bank and the Hillfields, Tile Hill, Spon End, Riley Square and Jadine Crescent areas of Coventry.

Unite claimed workers are “angry” over a four per cent pay offer from Citizen Housing, as ‘some workers are likely to still be on the national minimum wage.’

Citizen Housing argued that the four per cent pay increase across the organisation was in line with the wider housing sector. 

A spokesperson for Citizen Housing said: “This [pay increase] is in addition to a comprehensive review of our pay framework, which saw more than 70 per cent of our workforce receive pay increases averaging nine per cent this year.

“With a four per cent annual pay award, 70 per cent would benefit overall by an average 13 per cent uplift to their pay.”

The union also claimed that falling wages in real terms has led to tradespeople being paid below industry standards.

According to Glassdoor the estimated median salary for a tradesperson in the UK is £32,329 per year.

Unite regional officer Sharon Harding said: “The responsibility for the disruption caused to residents lies entirely at the door of Citizen Housing. 

“It can easily afford to offer these workers a fair pay rise but is choosing not to.

“There is still time to avoid strike action, but that will require an acceptable offer being put forward.”

According to the developer’s latest financial results, Citizen Housing reported turnover for the year ended 31 March 2024 of £192.6 million with an operating surplus of £48.3 million.

According to Inside Housing’s annual survey, Citizen Housing CEO Kevin Rodgers’ total pay was £263,004 for 2022-23, 60 per cent higher than the median basic salary of a housing association CEO during that period (£164,589).

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Citizen Housing’s workforce are rightly angry that their pay is being kept artificially low despite the association’s huge surplus and sky-high executive wage packets.

“Unite never accepts attacks on our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and Citizen Housing workers have their union’s total support during these strikes.”

Citizen Housing said its priority during industrial action is to ensure customers continue to receive services, as it puts plans in place to minimise disruptions. 

The Citizen Housing spokesperson added: “Emergency repairs will be prioritised, and we are working closely with our contractors to manage routine maintenance where possible.

“As a responsible social housing provider, we have a regulatory duty to reinvest any operational surplus directly into maintaining and improving our homes and services and providing good quality homes.

“We understand the pressures facing our colleagues, we are proud to be a Real Living Wage employer and will continue to support them where we can.”

The workers will strike on 28 October and 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25 and 29 November, with further industrial action if the dispute is not resolved.

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