Fighting Back

Sanctuary is a huge ‘social’ landlord and employer. It employs 14,000 workers throughout the UK. It manages over 120,000 dwellings and has an asset base of £5.6 billion.

Unite members at Barts NHS Trust in east London have won their battle for the Covid bonus they were owed. After they were brought back inhouse from private employer Serco, NHS bosses refused to pay them the Covid bonus.

Housing Association Sanctuary still refuses to raise wages. In April, state benefit levels rose by 6.7% and pensions by 8.5%. Even this miserly Tory government offered increases that outstrip those from Sanctuary management.

Barnet Unison has launched further strike action by its members working as mental health social workers. Outrageously, the Labour-controlled council intended to use agency labour in a strike-breaking move.

The London housing maintenance team in Sanctuary Housing is taking strike action on pay and conditions and for union recognition.

Domestics, porters, catering staff and other ‘soft facilities management’ workers at Barts NHS Trust, members of Unite, are embarking on their seventh tranche of strike action from 19-21 February.

Unite members, workers in portering, cleaning, catering and other ‘soft services’ across five East London hospitals, plus members working for Synergy (a company providing linen services), plan to strike from 29 Jan to 9 Feb.

In an unprecedented move, London Underground bosses and the mayor’s office came up with an extra £30 million to try and settle transport union RMT’s dispute over pay.

The courageous strike at Barts NHS Trust has inspired more workers to join the fight. Another boisterous Unite the Union rally outside the Royal London Hospital showed the action picking up momentum.

The ‘final offer’ from LU bosses of 5% is not acceptable. It would further increase the gap between the higher-paid members and the lower-paid. Even for higher-paid members, 5% represents a significant real-terms pay deduction.