West Midlands Citizen Housing strikes impact maintenance services for 30,000 homes
200 repair workers in Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford and Worcester walk out over pay
Last updated 23rd Oct 2024
Citizen Housing’s gas engineers, electricians, construction workers and admin staff will begin strike action over pay this month.
Unite, the union, say their members are angry at a derisory four per cent pay offer from Citizen Housing, claiming it still leaves them thousands of pounds below industry standards.
Even with the four per cent offer, it’s believed some workers will still only be on the national minimum wage.
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.”
The workers will strike on 28 October and 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25 and 29 November – with industrial action intensifying if the dispute is not resolved.
Critical maintenance and repair services for more than 30,000 homes in Birmingham, Coventry, Worcester and Hereford will be impacted.
This include residences in Birmingham’s Lee Bank and the Hillfields, Tile Hill, Spon End, Riley Square and Jadine Crescent areas of Coventry.
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.
“The dismissive and arrogant way Citizen Housing’s senior leadership is treating our membership is only making this dispute worse. There is still time to avoid strike action, but that will require an acceptable offer being put forward.”
A spokesperson for Citizen Housing said: “We are aware of the planned industrial action by Unite members in relation to the 2024 pay award.
“Citizen has offered a 4% pay increase across the organisation, in line with the wider housing sector. This is in addition to a comprehensive review of our pay framework, which saw more than 70% of our workforce receive pay increases averaging 9% this year. With a 4% annual pay award, 70% would benefit overall by an average 13% uplift to their pay.
“During the period of industrial action, our priority is to ensure that customers continue to receive services, and we are putting plans in place to minimise any disruption. 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.”