London-based workers employed by Solace Women’s Aid are being balloted for a second time this year on whether to take industrial action.
In February, employees at the charity’s Tower Hamlets branch called off “indefinite” strike action that had been planned in response to proposed staff cuts.
However, the workers in the east London borough are now being balloted again after the charity decided not to voluntarily recognise their trade union, United Voices of the World (UVW).
UVW has announced that Solace Women’s Aid staff in Barnet are also being balloted on potential strike action in response to “unmanageable workloads and chronic understaffing”.
The charity has said in response that its services “adhere to safe caseload levels” and that it decided against voluntary union recognition because it “would not be in the best interests” of staff.
‘Unrealistic’ standards
UVW balloted 11 employees in Tower Hamlets earlier this year, all of whom voted for strike action but called it off after the charity agreed to pause redundancy plans.
The charity then announced in March that the redundancy process had been withdrawn after it received increased funding.
In its announcement this week, UVW quoted an anonymous charity employee in Tower Hamlets, who said: “Our dispute earlier this year helped save both jobs and a vital service in Tower Hamlets.
“It took the threat of indefinite strike action for Solace to step up – securing the funding and agreeing to recognise our union, UVW.
“Now they’ve gone back on that, and it feels like a complete betrayal. Every day, we advocate for the voices of women and survivors of domestic abuse – yet we’re being told we don’t deserve a voice at work ourselves.
“We’re gutted to be forced into another dispute, but if Solace won’t honour agreements, what choice do we have as workers other than to strike?”
Meanwhile, there are six members of staff in Barnet Solace Advocacy and Support Service (SASS), plus a service manager.
UVW published a statement from Barnet-based employees at the charity, which said: “Many of us are expected to meet unrealistic service standards and work under intense pressure, which is taking a toll on our wellbeing.
“Staff often feel unsupported, and there are serious concerns about the lack of a psychologically informed management approach.
“In our view, management has not adequately addressed these issues or acknowledged the time-consuming nature of our additional duties.
“We are calling for a healthier work environment – for ourselves and for the survivors we support –and a real say at work through our union, UVW.”
CEO: Talks ‘will create the best resolution’
Nahar Choudhury, chief executive of Solace, said: “Ensuring that survivors receive the highest quality of support and protecting staff wellbeing is our top priority. Solace and the local authorities that fund our services adhere to safe caseload levels, in line with national standards set by SafeLives.
“We recognise that supporting survivors is demanding work and therefore provide a comprehensive wellbeing offer to support colleagues, alongside a regular review of caseloads for each staff member and service.
“We continue to reach out to Barnet SASS team members, both individually and as a team, to better understand the issues raised on the ballot and remain open to discussions. We believe getting around the table will create the best resolution for staff and survivors.
“Regarding the recognition agreement, we made no promises nor guarantees: earlier in the year Solace said we were open to exploring a voluntary recognition agreement with UVW but, after careful consideration, we’ve concluded that entering into an agreement would not be in the best interests of Solace colleagues at this time.”
Nationally, Solace Women’s Aid employs around 266 people, according to its most recently filed accounts for the year to March 2024.
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