CAMPAIGN Livv pay dispute
Determination wins out – strikers on picket line
So how exactly did Livv maintenance workers go from such a low point in industrial relations to what Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called a ‘fantastic deal’ – and for the first time in years, optimism for the future?
For Unite rep Kevin, it was a number of factors. “We had strong support from all sides – support from our tenants, from local and national politicians and of course from our union and the wider union movement,” he explained. Kevin cited the financial, as well as tactical support from Unite, in the form of a leverage campaign, which proved instrumental.
Unite regional officer John Sheppard also spoke of the effect of the leverage campaign, what Unite calls ‘strikes plus’. ‘Strikes plus’ is a set of tactics Unite uses to place additional pressure on the employer beyond only workers withdrawing their
labour.
This can take the form of publicity stunts, or press campaigns investigating the company’s accounts to reveal the truth about its finances – and the affordability of a decent pay rise. In the case of Livv, part of the ‘strikes plus’ work included establishing a hotline so that tenants could report issues they were facing with contract work carried out by maintenance workers brought in to break the strike.
John explained, “When [Unite general secretary] Sharon visited the picket line and announced that we would be moving to ‘strikes plus’, that was a big turning point in the dispute.”
John noted that a CEO of a different Liverpool housing association, who had once been subjected to a very early Unite leverage campaign, was seen at Livv offices.
“While we can’t confirm this, we suspect that [this person] may have
advised Livv executives that once a leverage campaign starts, that means Unite is going nowhere,” John noted.
Leading the company’s hostile, union-busting tactics was previous CEO Léann Hearne. Shockingly, Hearne – the head of a social housing provider – said in a speech to staff that she considered Margaret Thatcher one of her heroes.
Under Hearne’s leadership, the company point-blank refused to negotiate with Unite throughout the dispute; it brought in strike-breaking contractors; and it offered what Unite believes were illegal inducements to undermine the strike.
And then, in April, Hearne suddenly announced her resignation. She cited personal reasons, but Unite believes perhaps there may have been more to it than that. buildingWORKER understands that an ‘extraordinary’ board meeting was held just before her resignation.
“It may have then come to light to the board, just how much money the company was wasting in needlessly prolonging the strike; it may have become clear that her position was untenable,” Kevin explained. “It would have been much cheaper to simply come to the table and understand the reasons behind the dispute and try to resolve it.”
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