New Housing Regulator Faces Strike Threat

Staff working for the new social housing regulator are threatening to strike over a claim for a one-off £500 ‘end of Tenant Services Authority bonus’. Papers for the final TSA board meeting reveal that union Unite put forward a claim for an ‘exceptional’ bonus for all 151 staff transferring from the TSA to the Homes and Communities Agency.  Unite said its claim for a bonus was ‘consistently rejected’ by TSA management during negotiations. This prompted an internal, non-binding vote of union members, which saw a majority of members vote for a ballot on a one-day strike. The union deferred the ballot while further talks with the TSA took place, but says management has declined to settle the matter through the advisory, conciliation and arbitration service. Unite is now consulting its members on its next step. Read more on Inside Housing.