Dispute at Stonham ends with boost for lowest-paid

Skilled and professional union Amicus has agreed a pay deal benefiting lower-paid staff at supported housing provider Stonham.

Amicus had threatened industrial action over the summer following an initial 2006/07 pay offer of 2.5% for all care and support staff. The union had previously put in a claim for 3.75% or £600, whichever was the greater.

Managers said the offer reflected the fact that they were facing "huge demand to reduce costs" because of cuts in funding from the government's Supporting People programme for vulnerable adults. But Amicus pointed out that Stonham's parent organisation, the charity Home Group, had offered its staff a 2.7% award.

The union was also angry at Stonham's delay in starting negotiations on the 2006/07 pay award: Amicus's pay claim was submitted last December but the two sides did not meet until April.

But after what were described by Amicus organiser David Jones as "extremely difficult" negotiations, Stonham agreed this month to add an extra 0.1% onto the pay offer for lower-paid staff. Additionally, there is a commitment to open early talks on next year's pay settlement.

Commenting that "industrial action may have damaged the future of the organisation and resulted in members losing their jobs", Jones said the union's members had made a "sensible decision" in voting to accept the improved offer.

He added that the union will work with Stonham - the largest recipient of Supporting People funding in the UK - to lobby government over future funding from the programme and other sources.