34% of charity workers choosing between heating their homes and feeding their families
The leading anti-poverty charity Oxfam has been accused of ‘hypocrisy’ by Unite the union as workers are being balloted for strike action for the first time over ‘poverty pay’.
Workers at the UK organisation are having to using food banks and are struggling to pay rent, Unite has said, despite the charity boasting a large cash surplus.
All Oxfam GB employees who started before December 2022 were offered a salary increase of 6% and a one-off £1,000 for staff below the highest two pay grades, the charity is also an accredited Living Wage employer.
However Unite has said the average wage at Oxfam has fallen by 21% in real terms since 2018 and staff had voluntarily taken pay freezes for two of the last five years.
Members rejected the ‘substandard’ pay increase by 79% and are now being balloted for strike action for the first time in the charity’s history.
An alarming 34% of Oxfam workers were having to choose between heating their homes and feeding their families, whilst 22% had not been able to pay their rent and 8% had used foodbanks a recent survey of 150 Oxfam workers found.
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary accused the charity of “astounding hypocrisy” with a public stance that condemns UK poverty and real-wage cuts.
The charity’s cash surplus is now higher than before the pandemic, according to the union, at £44.6 million in 2022.
“This is a charity in robust financial health that makes much of belonging to the Ethical Trading Initiative and bestowing the virtues of unions to lift workers out of poverty,” said Graham.
“Meanwhile, Oxfam’s own staff are on poverty pay, with some using foodbanks and unable to pay their rent.
“How can its leadership possibly justify ignoring its workers’ demands to be paid fairly and blocking their union?”
An Oxfam GB spokesperson said: “We believe this pay award is fair and it is at the limit of what Oxfam can afford without taking vital resources away from our work fighting poverty with communities around the world. Colleagues understand that we face limited resources and tough choices and we hope they will recognise that when casting their ballot.
“We value the work of our trade unions and would much rather have reached agreement with Unite but what they are asking for is simply not affordable at a time when many of the communities we work with are also facing sharply rising costs.”
At the end of summer Unite secured charity workers at the homelessness charity St Mungo’s an inflation-busting pay rise of 10.75% following a long running strike.
(Image credit: SpeedPropertyBuyers / Creative Commons)
Hannah Davenport is trade union reporter at Left Foot Forward, focusing on trade unions and environmental issues
To reach hundreds of thousands of new readers and to make the biggest impact we can in the next general election, we need to grow our donor base substantially.
That's why in 2024, we are seeking to generate 150 additional regular donors to support Left Foot Forward's work.
We still need another 124 people to donate to hit the target. You can help. Donate today.