Unite press release

For immediate release: Tuesday 17 January 2023

Housing association faces industrial action if it presses ahead with anti-union attack

Unite will wage a campaign of resistance

Unite, Britain’s leading union has issued a stark warning to the Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) association, that it faces a significant campaign of resistance if bosses press ahead with their decision to end formal relations with Unite.

Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing was formed through a merger between Thames Valley Housing Association and Metropolitan Housing in 2018.

Last summer MTVH Served 6 months’ notice to Unite of its plans to derecognise the union. Since then Unite has presented management with a number of alternative proposals including an offer of third party conciliation. All proposals have been dismissed out of hand and the union is now planning a major campaign to protect its members’ rights, including industrial action.  

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham said: “Unless the Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing association ends this anti-union attack on Unite’s members our union will wage a significant campaign of resistance. An industrial action ballot is a very real possibility.

“Unite has had constructive relations with management over decades and there is absolutely no reason for this decision. To attempt to remove workers’ union rights in the middle of a cost of living crisis is contemptible. The Housing Association has a huge turnover of £414 million and a £40 million surplus. There is no justification for this attack, so the workers’ have Unite’s full support in their campaign to maintain their trade union rights.”

Unite met management today in an attempt to persuade the association to see sense. The union has tabled a number of proposals and reiterated its determination to protect its members.

Unite regional officer, Matt Freeman said: “This is a blatant attack on dedicated workers’ trade union rights. We stand ready to fight this decision. We hope bosses will come to their senses. If not we stand ready to defend our members trade union rights.”

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo 07768 931 315

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Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.