St Mungo's workers on strike last week (Pic: Julie Sherry)
Workers at homelessness charity St Mungo’s Broadway ended a seven-day strike on Thursday of last week with a rally outside the firm’s west London headquarters.
The Unite union members struck against an imposed pay cut of £5,000 a year for new starters and other attacks on conditions.
Their response to the attacks has been magnificent.
An active week-long strike saw them protest outside town halls across London and link up with other workers in dispute.
“Our strike has been absolutely solid,” Unite convenor Adam Lambert told Socialist Worker.
“It was stronger by the end as workers not on strike decided to join the union and strike.”
Adam said the town hall protests were putting council leaders under pressure with some now saying they will re-evaluate their contracts with St Mungo’s.
An Early Day Motion in parliament was also gathering more support.
Adam said, “All this must be coordinated with further industrial action. Our reps agree there is a need to escalate and this will be put to a meeting of members on Tuesday of this week.”
The strike has boosted workers’ confidence. Adam said, “One striker told me it was the most liberating week of their life.”
Strikers want to defend their service as well as their conditions.
They visited radiographers’ picket lines in central London last week. Strikers have also made links with Care UK workers in Doncaster.
“People can see their dispute in the broader context of austerity,” said Adam.
St Mungo’s workers have shown they are serious. If they vote for more action, wider solidarity will be crucial to helping them win.
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