Mark Harvey
n By Hajera Blagg ‘‘
All we want is some communication and a fair pay award. We’re not asking for massive increases in pay. Just negotiate and this will be settled
Chaniece,* Unite member
After a decade of below-inflation pay rises, the latest offer amounted to yet another devastating pay cut – and members decided enough was enough.
It’s been a long winter for the striking workers – Livv Housing management has not only so far refused to negotiate with the unions, but it has actively worked to undermine the strike.
In one particularly sinister move, weeks before Christmas, Livv Housing CEO Leanne Hearne sent a company-wide email offering to give every worker a 5 per cent pay rise if they confirmed they were not a union member.
Unite member and Knowsley MP Anneliese Midgely raised the issue in Parliament.
“This practice is completely contrary to the spirit of the 2004 Employment Relations Act,” Anneliese said. “But some employers keep trying to find a way around these protections, and we’ve got to put a stop to it.”
In the end, however, Livv Housing’s anti-union tactics have had the opposite effect that management intended – instead of cowing workers into submission, it’s only further strengthened their resolve.
Their determination was plain to see when buildingWORKER visited the picket line during their latest strike action – the atmosphere was jubilant, with music blasting and members cheering as they received honk after honk of solidarity from passing cars.
Unite member Freddie* highlighted some of the key issues in the dispute.
“We’ve had 20 years of below inflation pay rises – we’ve lost a lot of money over that time,” he explained. “Every year we’d rejected their pay offers, but
we never had the industrial strength to do anything about it – until now.”
Freddie added that members have really struggled with real-terms wage cuts.
“We’re a microcosm of the country – workers who create the wealth struggle, while the people at the top are doing really well. Our CEO’s salary has gone up by £30,000 in the last four years alone – she takes home more than a quarter of a million now.”
As a social enterprise, Livv Housing does not make a profit and does not have shareholders. Instead, any financial surplus is reinvested in the organisation.
“They’ve made many millions in surplus, which is intended for running costs, for housebuilding, for community projects and yes, for investing in their workers,” he explained. “But we always seem to be the last consideration when that money is divvied out.”
Unite member Julia* has worked for Livv Housing and its predecessor for more than a decade, and she said that as pay has eroded, so too have terms and conditions. For example, Livv Housing’s absentee policy is particularly draconian – if a worker is off over five days for any reason, they face disciplinary action.
“Even if people are ill, or have a family bereavement, they’ll return to work with an official warning,” she explained.
Like Freddie, Julia said that many striking members are struggling, with some forced to use food banks.
“Some of the company’s lowest paid workers who are barely above the minimum wage live in Livv housing. Last year, they received a letter that on the one hand, they’d be getting a five per cent pay rise, and then the very next day they’ve got another saying their rent is going up by 7.7 per cent – it’s unbelievable.”
buildingWORKER also spoke to Unite member Andy* who believes he and his colleagues aren’t being adequately rewarded for their efforts.
“It’s not an easy job – working in social housing, you’re not just an electrician or an engineer. You’re going into an environment with vulnerable tenants, many with special needs, which makes the job that much harder,” he explained.
13 unite buildingWORKER Spring 2025
Unite member Chaniece* urges the company to sit down and talk with the unions.
“All we want is some communication and a fair pay award. We’re not asking for massive increases in pay. They probably don’t even know what we’re asking for, because they’re refusing to talk. Just negotiate and this will be settled.”
Both Freddie and Julia went on to tell buildingWORKER that they couldn’t be prouder of their members and their brave stand.
“There’s lots of lone working in our jobs, so I’ve met people here on the picket line that I’ve never seen before,” Julia said. “We’ve built friendships on the line, and there’s this overwhelming feeling now that we’re all in this together.”
Freddie agreed.
“This strike has brought us closer together. That camaraderie that’s been built, the friendships that have been formed – they’ll endure long after this dispute ends. When we go back to work, we’ll be stronger for it.”
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham likewise hailed members’ stand.
“Their determination to win a fair pay deal is rock solid and they have Unite’s full backing for as long as it takes,” she said.
Unite regional officer John Sheppard pictured, added, “[Management] could end the strikes tomorrow by putting forward a fair deal, something Livv Housing has more than enough money to do.”
*Names changed to protect privacy ‘‘
Their determination to win a fair pay deal is rock solid and they have Unite’s full backing for as long as it takes
Sharon Graham, Unite general secretary
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