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From The Socialist newspaper, 14 April 2021
St Mungo's maintenance workers on indefinite strike
Workers at homelessness charity St Mungo's on strike, London, 17 March 2020 (Click to enlarge)
Unite members in St Mungo's
Maintenance workers in the troubled homelessness charity St Mungo's have voted for indefinite strike action. The strike concerns a failure to investigate management bullying and harassment of union reps - nearly half of Unite reps in the organisation are engaged in formal processes regarding their own employment.
The Orwellian response has been to suspend a rep who raised a grievance concerning management bullying. It seems this has been distressing for senior managers! If this move was intended to intimidate it has failed and the mood has hardened across the organisation.
The belligerent approach of management raises the need for wider strike action in the organisation.
In a recent Unite survey, 68% of respondents reported that they have experienced bullying from St Mungo's management.
One worker says: "Reps, especially health and safety reps who have been supporting members in this pandemic, have been targeted during this restructuring process within St Mungo's and now face redundancy."
Members of the Unite housing workers branch (LE1111) are committed to supporting St Mungo's workers all the way.
Concerns about St Mungo's senior management have been raised over several years; care organisations in which staff are punished for speaking up have a record of poor treatment of vulnerable clients.
Unite believes that many of St Mungo's services are currently excellent. This is because of the commitment of frontline workers and managers.
However, the approach of the senior leadership of the organisation has been cause for deep concern in recent years and will tend to erode services over time unless corrected.
Unless management changes its position, strike action will begin from Thursday 22 April.
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In The Socialist 14 April 2021:
Covid-19
'Covid passports' discriminatory and questionable - fight for workplace safety
Covid inquiry? Workers must decide
News
Tensions escalate in Northern Ireland
How to deal with the tax-dodging mega-rich? Nationalise!
NHS pay: reject Tories' miserly 1% 'offer' - Fight for full 15% rise
Tory hypocrisy over housing benefit cut
US cops shoot dead another black man
Elections
Every voter in Wales has the opportunity to vote for TUSC
TUSC: Launching a working-class electoral alternative in London
London housing crisis: vote TUSC to fight back
Workplace news
PCS elections: Support the Broad Left Network for a democratic, fighting union leadership
St Mungo's maintenance workers on indefinite strike
Thousands of London bus workers strike across multiple companies
Rally for sacked RMT rep Declan
East London cleaners fight outsourcing and redundancies
Bristol Water workers walk out
SPS Technologies workers end strike after management backs down
Thurrock Council workers strike against pay cuts
Deliveroo workers strike and protest
Lessons from history
1920s-30s Britain: A working-class movement fighting unemployment and capitalism
Campaigns news
Students in action: Protest on 21 April
Why you should join the Socialist Party
Cardiff: Hundreds protest to free Siyanda
Fighting fund target smashed. Can we do it again?
Readers' opinion
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2021