Housing repair staff have gone on strike, claiming they have not had a pay rise for 10 years.

Unite union members among Haringey Council's housing workers went on continuous strike from Tuesday (October 15).

The union says that with no pay increases in more than a decade, despite a cost-of-living crisis and high inflation in recent years, workers are estimated to have been left more than £6,000 out of pocket. 

Unite members went on strike from April 29 to May 2 earlier this year. There have been 19 days of industrial action since September 2023. 

The union claims Haringey's housing repairs service is failing badly to meet standards due to a failure of management, the ongoing dispute with workers about their treatment and pay and conditions could be easily solved with meaningful negotiations.

It says the council is wasting "a huge amount" of resources on "poor quality" sub-contractors and agency workers and management is not taking staff and resident safety seriously.

Unite says that when the housing service in Haringey came back in-house in June 2022, workers were given commitments of a pay review within six months - yet none has materialised. 

Sharon Graham, the Secretary General of Unite, said: “This is a Labour-run council behaving like Tories in disguise. It has decimated housing services and is now determined to treat our members – their key workers – with utter disdain. They need to know that Unite won’t stand for it and our members have the full backing of their union in this dispute.”

In response to the strike, Cllr Dawn Barnes (Lib Dem, Fortis Green), opposition spokesperson for housing, said: “Haringey must get the repairs service in order, up to a standard tenants and officers deserve: and that first means resolving this industrial action as a matter of urgency before conditions for residents worsen even further.”

Cllr Sarah Williams, Haringeys deputy leader and cabinet member for housing and planning, said: “This strike action relates to a local pay dispute about terms and conditions.  The Housing repairs staff who are members of Unite have already accepted enhanced pay as part of a national agreement in 2023.    

“We have made an offer to Unite members which guarantees an increase to the average pay, London Weighting and annual leave entitlement.  

“We are willing and open to negotiation, but we will not compromise on the core principles of fairness or agree to terms that are inconsistent with the rest of the council workforce."