UK charity workers plan 2-week strike for 'decent pay' - union

Hundreds of charity workers in Britain plan to strike for two weeks in December for better pay, a union said on Thursday, underscoring the extent of discontent among employees from different sectors as they grapple with a cost-of-living crisis. In a striking example, even staff at trade union Usdaw have walked out as pay rises lag inflation.

Hundreds of charity workers in Britain plan to strike for two weeks in December for better pay, a union said on Thursday, underscoring the extent of discontent among employees from different sectors as they grapple with a cost-of-living crisis. The walkouts, which involve over 500 workers at housing charity Shelter, will begin on Dec. 5 and last until Dec. 18, Unite said in a statement.

"At the very base level, absolute bare minimum, those working for a housing charity shouldn't be experiencing housing insecurity as a result of being unable to pay rent," one of the employees planning to go on the strike said in the statement from Unite. Shelter, which provides advice and practical assistance to those who are homeless, did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Surging inflation has caused wide-spread industrial unrest in Britain, with nurses the latest group to decide to stage a walk-out. In a striking example, even staff at trade union Usdaw have walked out as pay rises lag inflation. "I'm now in overdraft every month, I go around switching my lights off, I have turned my boiler down, I get stressed when the kids school wants me to pay for another school trip. The best acknowledgement my employer can give me for all my hard work is decent pay," another Shelter employee said in the Unite statement.