Hundreds of workers at homelessness charity Shelter have suspended their fortnight long strike after an “improved pay offer” was made by the charity, according to the union Unite.
The decision to suspend the strike, which began on December 5, has been made by the 600 striking workers who are members of Unite, as “an act of good faith”.
Unite said it will now ballot members on the revised pay offer, which was made following talks at conciliation service Acas this week.
Shelter strike suspended following improved offer. Read more 👇🏼 https://t.co/AexdJzREks
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“Unite has been crystal clear from the outset that we believed that this dispute could and should be resolved through negotiations,” said Unite regional officer Peter Storey.
“Following the talks at Acas an improved offer was made and therefore Unite has suspended action to allow its members to be balloted on the proposed deal.”
The action had been taken after Unite members at the charity rejected a 3% increase for 2022, which the union said had been “imposed, leaving staff with a “huge real terms pay cut of 11%”.
Tim Gutteridge, Shelter's director of finance and strategy enablement, said: “We are pleased the strike has been called off, and that through talks we have been able to reach an agreement with the union.
“Our ambition remains the same: to support our colleagues as best we can through these challenging economic times, while being able to deliver our frontline services and campaign work.
“What unites everyone at Shelter is our shared passion and steadfast commitment to defending the right to a safe home. We believe that home means everything, and our fight for home will never stop.”
Earlier in the week Unite had accused Shelter of “spreading misinformation” as the strike entered its second week.
“It is appalling that staff dedicated to helping others with housing problems now find themselves unable to pay their rent,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.
“What a paradox – the workers who help the homeless are haunted by homelessness themselves.”
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