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.