More than 200 staff from Macmillan Cancer Support have voted to gain formal union recognition with Unite, ahead of a further planned vote to cover the charity’s entire workforce.
Macmillan staff covering its advice and support line for people affected by cancer and their families will now sign a recognition agreement which has already been negotiated.
The agreement will enable Unite to bargain collectively on behalf of the more than 200 employees, who are based around the UK, on issues such as pay, working conditions and annual leave.
Another vote on union recognition across the rest of the charity is scheduled to begin tomorrow and remain open for three weeks.
The union recognition agreement is not the first of its kind for the charity, which has recognised and worked with the Royal College of Nursing for staff in eligible roles since 2014.
‘Challenging year’
The union recognition agreement comes after Macmillan cut almost a quarter of its staff last year and closed some services, in what it described as a “tough financial climate”.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “This vote will allow Macmillan staff to drive up the quality of their jobs, pay and conditions through their chosen union, Unite.
“These workers, along with the rest of the Macmillan workforce, have faced a challenging year, but Unite is working hard to defend their interests and the critical services they deliver.”
Francesca Okosi, the charity’s chief people and culture officer, said: “We welcome Unite the Union as a partner in strengthening colleague voice at Macmillan.
“We’re looking forward to working together constructively to make Macmillan the best possible place to work, so we can continue delivering outstanding support for people living with cancer.”
According to the charity's most recently filed accounts, it employed a total of 2,019 staff for the year ending financial year ending December 2023.
Save the Children International employees gain recognition
Seperately, a recognition agreement has been signed between Save the Children International and Unite, Civil Society has learned.
In an e-newsletter last year seen by Civil Society, the union said that a recognition agreement with the charity “should be signed shortly”.
Spokespeople for Save the Children International and Unite both recently confirmed that an agreement was signed in August 2024.
Save the Children International has about 1,500 staff overall, with the union agreement covering its around 400 employees based in the UK and below senior leadership level.
Kate Brown, chief people officer at Save the Children International, said: “The senior leadership team were pleased to enable and authorise union representation at Save the Children International to represent UK staff.
“In addition to our well-respected employee forum, this offers our employees a formal channel through which we can support, engage and resolve workplace issues efficiently and fairly.”
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