Unite the Union, which represents over 2,000 clergy and lay officers in the Church of England, has submitted a claim for an increase in the annual stipend that clergy receive of 9.5%
Church of England vicars have, for the first time in their history, submitted a formal pay claim, as their members struggle with the cost of living crisis.
Unite the Union, which represents over 2,000 clergy and lay officers in the Church of England, has submitted a claim for an increase in the annual stipend that clergy receive of 9.5 per cent to be paid from April 2024.
Commenting on the need for a pay rise, Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “Like all workers, Church of England clergy are struggling with the cost of living crisis. While many will argue their work is a vocation, the simple truth is that on their current rewards they are among the working poor.
“The Church of England has billions in the bank and can fully afford to pay its clergy the modest increase in their stipend they are seeking. The clergy deliver a clear message for the Church of faith in the hereafter. Unite is fighting for a better deal for them in the here and now.”
The 2022 Annual Report of the Church Commissioners revealed that its current fund was worth £10.3 billion and that it was achieving average yearly investment growth of 10.2 per cent.
The demands for a pay rise come ahead of the Church of England’s Remuneration and Conditions of Service Committee (RASCSC) meeting which is set to make a decision on any increase in the clergy’s stipend at a meeting later today.
Unite activist and member of the clergy, Sam Maginnis, said: “Clergy have been working tirelessly to support their local communities through the cost-of-living crisis: facilitating and coordinating vital services and activities, providing personal care and guidance to individuals in need, and speaking hope and a sense of togetherness in unstable and uncertain times. However, last year many clergy had to turn to charitable aid because they couldn’t make ends meet.
“All clergy should be paid at a level that secures relief from financial hardship, promotes personal wellbeing and enables them to effectively serve and support their local communities. The proposed increase is necessary to start bringing pay back in line with inflation while addressing the most urgent hardship and anxiety faced by too many clergy and their families.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
(Picture credit: “Outstanding Late Decorated Gothic window tracery, the Church of St Mary, Snettisham, Norfolk, England” by Spencer Means)
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