Enable Scotland staff vote for strike action

Finance | Gareth Jones | 7 Apr 2009

Staff at learning disabilities charity Enable Scotland have voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of taking strike action over pay.

Simon MacFarlane, regional organiser at Unison, told Charity News Alert that with staff having given their approval in the consultative ballot, he was now applying to the union's Industrial Action Committee for the formal ballot required to take strike action.

“Members voted overwhelmingly in favour of a formal industrial action ballot. It could potentially be end of May, but that’s not confirmed, and it will probably be a one day strike.”

Last month it was revealed that staff had rejected the charity’s pay offer by 2 to 1, leading to a consultative ballot to gauge their willingness to strike.

The rejected pay offer was for lowest paid staff to receive a £300 rise plus a £100 non-consolidated payment, the next grade a 2 per cent increase with a £50 payment, and the remaining staff just 1.5 per cent extra.

Unison had been calling for a 5 per cent or £1,000 rise, whichever is greater for that member of staff, an extra day’s holiday and an end to a system which pays people differently for doing the same job.

Who's Who: Gareth Jones

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