Staff at a cancer research charity have accepted a new pay offer, ending nearly three months of industrial action.
Trade union Unite announced that its members at exempt educational charity the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) returned to work on Monday after securing “a historic pay settlement”.
Hundreds of staff at the ICR initially walked out for nine days in June due to what the union described as an “unacceptable pay offer” of 3.75% before announcing further strike action.
Unite said ICR’s lowest-paid workers would see a pay increase of up to 52%, while other staff would receive varying above-inflation pay increases.
It said ICR’s staff members had been moved onto incremental pay scales with an average increase of 17.2% over two years, which it said represented “a cash value of over £8,000”.
Unite’s regional officer Will Searby said: “It’s no exaggeration to say that for many workers at the ICR, the pay increases involved in this offer will be life-changing. Every penny of this offer is thanks to these incredible members and their resolve, strength, and solidarity.
“Strikers stayed the course for an incredible 68 days, and they deserve nothing less than what they’ve won.”
A proposal to introduce an alternative pension scheme will also not proceed now, following the discussions.
An ICR spokesperson said: “The ICR listened and engaged constructively throughout negotiations, tailoring our offer to the needs of colleagues.
“Our priority throughout has been to ensure colleagues are rewarded fairly, in a way that ensures the long-term financial sustainability of the organisation and its life-saving cancer research.
“We now look forward to advancing together towards the ICR’s mission of conducting world-class research to make the discoveries that defeat cancer.”
