Social Housing Repair Workers Initiate Strikes Over Pay Dispute

Industrial action has commenced, involving hundreds of repair workers employed by a social housing provider, marking the initial phase of 10 scheduled walk-outs throughout the Midlands due to a pay dispute. This action includes gas engineers, electricians, construction workers, and admin staff from Citizen, all of whom are members of the Unite union. On Monday, over 200 union members took part, stating their objection to a “derisory four per cent pay offer.” Citizen stated its understanding of the pressures experienced by its colleagues and affirmed its commitment to “continue to provide support where we can.” According to the union, the strike action, which spans Coventry, Birmingham, and Hereford, has the potential to affect 30,000 households. At a picket line in Coventry, Sharon Harding, an officer for Unite, commented that the workers had been underpaid for “a very long time.” Ms Harding stated, “We’re on strike today because Citizen Housing group have got millions in the bank and won’t pay their workers a decent pay rise.” She added, “This is not down to the trade people, this is down to Citizen. They could end the strike today if they would come back round the table but they’ve chosen not to.” She further remarked: “It’s down to the Citizen’s managers to end this strike. These workers are traditionally underpaid and have been underpaid for a very long time.” A spokesperson for Citizen conveyed that the company understood “the pressures our colleagues face and are committed to supporting them.” They also stated: “We want to reassure our customers that both emergency and routine repairs are our priority. We do not anticipate any impact on services, though a small number of appointments for routine repairs may experience a slight delay.” The spokesperson elaborated: “Citizen has offered a 4% pay increase across the organisation, aligning with the wider housing sector. This year, over 70% of our workforce benefited from pay increases averaging 9% following a thorough pay framework review, with the remaining 30% at the top of their salary bands. The 4% offer would be in addition to these adjustments, meaning an average increase of around 13% for most employees this year.” Further strike action is scheduled for November 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, and 29, with the union asserting that “industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved.”