Action for Children staff to vote on strike

Unison and Unite said the move follows the breakdown of pay negotiations that have been taking place over the past eight months.

Both unions are particularly concerned about changes to redundancy policy at the charity, which they said would reduce the period of protected pay for staff redeployed to a lower-paid job from two years to under one year.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: "Action for Children has refused to respond to our concerns over the past eight months. Industrial action is a last resort, but the only way to convince the charity that staff deserve a fair pay rise.

"We are urging Action for Children to think again, and make an offer that reflects the hard, high-quality work these staff do every day."

He said that recent rises in the inflation rate have been another factor in wanting to see pay negotiations resolved swiftly.

Mike Robinson, Unite national officer for children’s charities, added: "Action for Children staff do an amazing and extremely difficult job. They are essential to supporting vulnerable children and their families, and are in the vanguard in the fight against child poverty."

Unison’s ballot closes later this month, while Unite’s ends at the beginning of November. The 1,000 members being sent ballot papers represent around a fifth of Action for Children’s workforce.