St Mungo's Staff Strike Over Conditions And Treatment Of Migrants

Hundreds of workers at Britain’s biggest homelessness charity have started a three-day strike in a protest about working conditions and the treatment of vulnerable migrant rough sleepers whose details the charity shared with the Home Office. Staff at St Mungo’s have gone on strike after a year-long dispute about the charity’s sickness policy and concern about the ratio of junior to more senior workers. Union officials estimate that about 200 staff have joined the strike – the first at the charity since 2014. Workers fear the staffing policy opens the door to a cheaper workforce on worse pay and terms and conditions. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/16/st-mungos-staff-on-strike-about-conditions-and-treatment-of-migrants

Universal Credit Staff Vote To Strike over 'Inadequate' IT Systems

Universal Credit employees have voted to go on a two-day strike over inadequate IT systems and what they describe as an “increasingly oppressive working environment”. Staff in DWP centres in Glasgow and Bolton voted by 84 percent to go on strike over the troubled project, which aims to merge six working-age benefits into one. The PCS union has about 1,500 members across the two sites, representing over 80 percent of all staff, according to a spokesman.  Staff at the contact centres are responsible for taking calls from claimants, answering online enquires and processing claims. Their demands include “proper investment in IT and training”, an end to the “excessive target culture” and a “fundamental rethink of the new ways of working”. Read more on the Computer World website.