Unite is balloting its call centre and office worker members at Age UK for strike action over demands for an improved pay award.

The union says 200 “low paid workers are angry after years of below inflation pay rises” adding that wages have fallen by just over 15% in real terms over the last five years.

It says that relations between its members and management have “deteriorated” further after a 2% pay rise was “imposed”.

Workers involved in the ballot are based in London, Blackpool, Newton Abbot in Devon and Warrington in Cheshire and work on the charity’s Advice Line and Silver Line helplines and support regional Age UK partner organisations.

The union says that it has been told by Age UK that it could only afford this pay rise amid concerns its reserves would drop to £25m, although the union says that the charity's reserves now stand at £31m.

“Age UK workers perform important roles in providing services, advice and assurance to vulnerable elderly people every day,” said Unite general secretary Sharon Graham.

“They are the backbone of Age UK and cannot swallow another real-terms pay cut. Age UK can afford to make a reasonable pay offer - that is what needs to happen.”

The ballot opens today (14 October) and closes on 18 November.

The union's regional coordinating officer Matt Freeman added: “Unite’s Age UK members are dedicated to helping elderly people who are often highly distressed and in need.

“Age UK leadership thinks that makes them an easy target and that they will put up with unjustifiable attacks on their pay because they don’t want to let people down.

“But is it Age UK’s behaviour that is letting the charity’s service users down - this dispute will continue to escalate unless Age UK puts forward an acceptable deal.”

A spokesperson for Age UK said that it remains “committed to engaging constructively and respectfully with Unite” and that more than two in three of its workers have received an above inflation pay award of between 4.1% and 4% with phoneline and retail staff among these.

They added: “This year’s pay award of between 2% and 4.1%, backdated to the start of the financial year in April, represents the absolute maximum level that can be supported responsibly this year.

“We hugely value the contribution and commitment of everyone working for Age UK.  Along with many other charities, we are having to ensure that our budgets are balanced in the face of an extremely tough external environment.

“Our top priority remains ensuring that we continue to support those older people who need us, and that no older person is impacted by any proposed union action”. 

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