Livv Housing workers in fair pay fight

Knowsley Livv Housing workers have intensified their strikes in their fight for fair pay.

After workers endured years of below inflation pay rises, they’ve now rejected a pay increase of five per cent because it fails to reverse the real terms pay cuts they’ve suffered.

Livv Housing, which manages and maintains over 13,000 properties primarily in the Knowsley area, reported reserves of £110.6m March 2024.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, “Livv Housing workers have had enough of being underpaid by an organisation that has amassed tens of millions of pounds. Unite is backing them 100 per cent as they strike to win a fair pay deal.”

The repair, maintenance and call centre workers began targeted periods of strike action in October that have now escalated.

The industrial action has caused customer service delays and a backlog of repair and maintenance jobs. Workers have also had to fix faulty and potentially unsafe repairs by third party contractors brought into undermine the strike action.

Unite’s members took fresh strike action as BuildingWorker went to print in the last days of November and the beginning of December. Additional strikes will be called if the dispute is not resolved.

Unite regional officer John Sheppard said, “Livv Housing’s disgraceful attempts to undermine the strike action by bringing in third party contractors has backfired. Not only have our members been required to fix faulty repair jobs that have simply added to the disruption, but Livv’s underhand tactics have also strengthened their resolve. The only way to end this dispute is for Livv to put forward an offer our members will accept.”

Unite construction activist Jimmy Woods has been out with colleagues on the picket line and in the wider community supporting members and handing out copies of BuildingWorker magazine (pictured above).

“The turnout on the picket line has been tremendous, and the determination of the workforce has been absolutely phenomenal,” he said. “They’ve all been on the picket line, or of a Saturday morning in shopping centres across the area in Kirkby, Huyton, Halewood and more distributing leaflets to the public explaining what the issues in the dispute are – a lot of people don’t know. The publicity in the Liverpool Echo and wider media has been good. The solidarity shown in this dispute has been rock-solid despite the bad weather and all the other difficulties. Long may it continue.”

By Ryan Fletcher and Hajera Blagg