UNISON and Family Mosaic agree to talks at ACAS

Hat tip UNISON press release " A planned ballot for industrial action by UNISON members at Family Mosaic Housing Association has been postponed after both parties agreed to hold talks at ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service).

The talks will aim to resolve the dispute over Family Mosaic’s proposals to increase working hours for all front-line staff and substantially
reduce the pay of many social care and support staff.

Family Mosaic has already issued letters of dismissal to all staff members who have not signed new contracts agreeing to the changes. It is anticipated that that threat of dismissal will be postponed whilst talks at ACAS take place.  

London UNISON regional organiser, Colin Inniss stated: “UNISON is genuinely committed to trying to resolve this dispute and we welcome ACAS’s intervention. But any agreed resolution has to be an equitable one. As things currently stand, a large number of our members will have pay cuts ranging from £3,000 to £8,500; a figure which will leave them and their families facing financial misery. Meanwhile, senior management are facing no salary cuts whatsoever. If we cannot get agreement at ACAS, UNISON will be left with no alternatives other than to conduct a formal ballot for strike action and to pursue legal action". Good news - but check out here and here.

A Christmas Carol 2011

This is a modern day “A Christmas Carol” tale. Christmas this year must be looking pretty bleak for the 1000 carers and their families employed by Family Mosaic Housing Association. Their employer is trying to cut their wages by up to 35% in some cases. According to their own figures 242 carers will lose up to £2000 pa; 58 between £2000 and £4000 and 107 over £4000 pa.

Many of these carers are already relatively poorly paid. They work with the mentally ill and other vulnerable adults doing a demanding job that they love but which most people would run a mile away from doing themselves. A large number are single mums who rely on working weekends and shifts' allowances in order to raise their wages to a decent level to look after their kids.

While it seems that the Senior Management team at Family Mosaic are not going to suffer any cut in their pay: 25 of whom earn over £60,000 pa, while 4 earn over £100,000 a year. Its Chief Executive, Brendan Sarfield, on £172,000 pa is also safe. Family Mosaic made a surplus of £34 million pounds last year.

Yesterday morning in my Councillor’s post I received a glossy magazine (Winter 2011) from Family Mosaic wishing me “A very Happy Christmas and New Year”. There was also a letter from the CEO saying how wonderful his organisation is doing. In the magazine there was no mention whatsoever about the cuts to carers' pay and conditions. Nor that staff are balloting for strike action. With no apparent sense of irony, Mr Sarfield in an editorial criticised others for not facing up to “Challenging” issues!

Is it not too late for the modern day equivalent of Jacob Marley to pay a visit to Mr Sarfield to remind him about the real meaning of Christmas? Or will he continue to say to his staff facing desperate financial straits "I'm alright Jack" and “Bah, Humbug!”.

Family Mosaic UNISON members vote for Strike Ballot

"UNISON members at Family Mosaic Housing Association have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a formal ballot for strike action. The consultative ballot result comes shortly after Family Mosaic’s senior management issued letters of dismissal to all staff members who have not signed new contracts agreeing to substantial cuts in pay and an increase in working hours. 

To date Family Mosaic have refused to revise their current drastic proposals and have shown little regard for the significant impact the proposed pay reductions will have on staff members and their families.

London UNISON Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss stated: ‘The pain of these pay cuts and increased working hours will only be experienced by front line staff, senior management have exempted themselves and protected their pay from any reductions. All care and support and general housing staff will be contemplating a difficult 2012; whilst for senior management it will be a case of business at usual, a point which highlights the opportunistic nature of their proposals. This is something which should worry Family Mosaic’s service users. Imposing harsh changes demoralises a workforce and cannot but affect the quality of service delivery. Whilst UNISON remains committed to achieving negotiated change, management’s intransigence has left us with no alternatives other than to conduct a formal ballot for strike action and to pursue legal action.’

The ballot will involve all UNISON members employed by Family Mosaic in both London and Essex.

For Further information or comment please contact: UNISON Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss on 07703 194 127 / C.Inniss@unison.co.uk
Notes for Editors
1. UNISON’s represents over 60,000 members in the Community and Voluntary sector.
2. Family Mosaic own and manage 23,000 properties across, 27 London Boroughs and in Essex. It has a significant Supported Housing business providing nursing, care and support services to around 4,000 people.
3. Family Mosaic’s operating surplus rose from 19% in 2009/10 to 26% in 2010/11. The Group’s net surplus increase to £34 million in 2010/11, a rise of 4% on the previous year.
4. In July 2011, Family Mosaic finalised the purchase of Hyde Housing’s £14 million-turnover subsidiary, In Touch, which provides services to 4,200 people and includes 120 contracts.
5. In 2010/11, Family Mosaic’s Chief Executive, Brendan Sarsfield’s, annual salary increased from £165,000 to £172,000".

Why Income Equality at work is better for everyone

Further to the outrageous pay cuts to low paid staff proposed by the Loadsofmoney CEO of Family Mosaic. This motion has been submitted

to the UNISON Community Conference next year.

Why Income Equality at work is better for everyone
This conference notes the gross inequality in pay at many Housing Associations. “Inside Housing” reports that 58 Chief Executives earn more than the Prime Minster, while the highest earner, Jane Ashcroft of Anchor (established in 1968 by “Help the Aged”) received £331,250 - up 14 per cent on last year.

At the same time many workers in the sector existed on the minimum wage rate of just £5.93 per hour. This means that the most highly paid Executive got £26,605 per month while many of the lowest paid got just £949. This is nearly 30 times more.

The book “The Spirit Level” by research scientists Professors Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett demonstrate that excessive income inequality in society results in premature death, greater levels of mental illness, drug abuse, poor education attainment, imprisonment, violence and obesity. Societies that are more equal such as Sweden and Japan are more successful for everyone in all measurable ways. Both the rich and the poor benefit.  This conference believes:-

That Housing Associations should recognise that internal income inequality is as bad for its workers and residents as it is for the wider society. It is corrosive, divisive and destructive. Profiteering for the few threatens the raison d’être for the entire sector. It results in poor staff morale and industrial relations, mistrust from residents and a reputational political risk to the whole sector.

If Housing Associations believe that they need to reduce their cost base to compete for contracts they should firstly cut the pay of their Senior Management Team.

We support the recommendations of the Hutton report on Fair Pay that “every public body should annually publish the multiple of top to median pay in a clear and presentable way” and that employee representatives should be on the Executive Remuneration Committees.

Every single worker whether directly employed or subcontracted should receive at least a Regional living wage rate. This conference calls on:-

Our Service Group Executive to campaign for greater Income Equality, using the press and media, working with the National Housing Federation if possible, and lobbying Government.

The Service Group Executive to explore affiliating to the Equality Trust

To request Labour Link campaigns for statutory regulation of pay multiples in Housing Association’s, increased public spending to combat poverty and fair progressive levels of income taxation.

(there is an amendment adding an action point which might cause problems with standing orders) 

Family Mosaic "Slash and Burn" Pay Cuts: UNISON to Ballot on Strike Action

2nd branch press release on Family Mosaic. "UNISON is to immediately conduct an indicative ballot of its members at Family Mosaic over possible strike action. The move is in response to Family Mosaic’s proposal to cut the pay of its support staff and increase the working hours of its entire 1,500 front line staff based in Essex and London. Staff members who do not agree to the changes face being dismissed. There is considerable disquiet amongst Family Mosaic staff who state that senior management will not face similar changes to their pay and conditions. The union will also be providing its members with legal advice in response to the employer’s threats to dismiss staff.

UNISON Essex regional organizer, Nick Bradley said : “ This employer by trying to bully staff into agreeing individual pay cuts of up to 35% are acting like one of the very worst employers in the UK. Apart from legal action that we will vigorously pursue with our members we have no choice but to go into dispute – and we are now asking our members whether they would support strike action to defend their terms and conditions. There is still time for Family Mosaic to sit down and talk to us and withdraw their bullying letters to staff” 

London UNISON Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss, said: “Family Mosaic chief executive Brendan Sarsfield’s (grayee -see picture above) claim that the average pay cut will be 2 percent is disingenuous. Combined with the unpaid increase in working hours, the average pay cut that staff face is 8.5% with some members facing cuts of over 11%. This is a man who - gallingly - saw his annual remuneration increase by 4% in 2010/11, taking his salary up to a whooping £172,000. How exactly does the Family Mosaic Board justify paying their chief executive such a huge salary whilst making cuts that will push front line staff members into poverty?”

For Further information or comment please contact:
UNISON Regional Organiser, Nick Bradley on 0790 867 2899, N.Bradley@unison.co.uk
UNISON Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss on 07703 194 127 C.Inniss@unison.co.uk
Notes for Editors
1. UNISON’s represents over 60,000 members in the Community and Voluntary sector.
2. Family Mosaic own and manage 23,000 properties across, 27 London Boroughs and in Essex. It has a significant Supported Housing business providing nursing, care and support services to around 4,000 people.
3. Family Mosaic’s operating surplus rose from 19% in 2009/10 to 26% in 2010/11. The Group’s net surplus increase to £34 million in 2010/11, a rise of 4% on the previous year.
4. In July 2011, Family Mosaic finalised the purchase of Hyde Housing’s £14 million-turnover subsidiary, In Touch, which provides services to 4,200 people and includes 120 contracts.

Family Mosaic Housing Association "to sack 1000 workers"

Branch press release "UNISON condemns housing association who intend to sack their workforce of 1,000 in London and Essex.

London and Essex based housing association, Family Mosaic, has notified UNISON that it intends to dismiss approximately 1,000 staff in their social care and support division unless they accept massive cuts in pay ranging from hundreds of pounds to nearly £11,000 per annum. In addition, Family Mosaic want to increase the working hours of all front line staff - general housing and care and support – from 35 to 37.5 hours. Family Mosaic will be writing to the affected staff to ask them to sign new contracts. If they refuse to sign the contracts, Family Mosaic will sack them.

Essex UNION Regional Organiser, Nick Bradley said: “This is appalling and awful news for these staff. Family Mosaic management are acting like bullies of the worst kind. They have refused all requests not to go ahead with these cuts to pay which will be devastating to the staff and their families. We know that some staff will not be able to survive on such cuts in their pay. It is notable that only the support staff and their local managers face these pay cuts while the senior management team continue to receive their comfortable salaries and benefits without cuts. UNISON will be fighting hard to resist this and both strike action and legal action are being considered.”

London UNISON Regional Organiser, Colin Inniss, said: “With a £34 million surplus for 2010/11 and £33 million for 2009/10, Family Mosaic’s funds are amongst the very best in the sector. In fact finances at Family Mosaic are so good that they have been able to purchase Hyde Housing’s entire care and support subsidiary, In Touch. Yet at a time of high inflation, they want support staff to take salary cuts of up to 35% and all front line staff to work a further 2.5 hours or else face dismissal. That’s bad news for those members and their families; it will inevitably affect staff morale at Family Mosaic and lead to a diminishing quality of service delivery. After the appalling debacle at Southern Cross, this type of bad publicity is the very last thing that the care and support sector needs right now“. 

Notes for Editors
1. UNISON’s represents over 60,000 members in the Community and Voluntary sector.
2. Family Mosaic own and manage 23,000 properties across, 27 London Boroughs and in Essex. It has a significant Supported Housing business providing nursing, care and support services to around 4,000 people.
3. Family Mosaic’s operating surplus rose from 19% in 2009/10 to 26% in 2010/11. The Group’s net surplus increase to £34 million in 2010/11, a rise of 4% on the previous year.
4. In July 2011, Family Mosaic finalised the purchase of Hyde Housing’s £14 million-turnover subsidiary, In Touch, which provides services to 4,200 people and includes 120 contracts.