- Conference
- 2016 Community Service Group Conference
- Date
- 3 November 2015
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference, we are experiencing many attacks to our funding in the housing association sector with the 1% cut to rents and the right to buy.
Where are housing associations going to make the cuts to balance their books? We know from our experience elsewhere it will be the usual response by employers to cut terms and conditions of the workers and reduce staff numbers.
Conference we are concerned that employers will target Disabled workers, we know the criteria for re organisations usually focus on capability, including sickness absence, productivity which can mean disabled workers can be at a disadvantage and at a higher risk of being made redundant.
Alongside this employers will look at reducing terms and conditions sickness pay being cut back to statutory levels, enhanced maternity pay, holidays, pay cuts or a freeze in pay, the list is frightening.
It is not the housing associations that have caused this but the government for implementing changes to what they had already promised. Rents were set for 5 years and associations were able to plan with that assurance but this government have changed the playing field and the implications are colossal .
Conference calls on the Community Service Group Executive to work with Labour Link and the National Disabled Members Committee to;
1. Campaign for fairer funding for housing associations
2. Campaign for the protection and improvement of rights for disabled workers in housing associations
3. Ensure that branches are issued guidance on how to handle reorganisations. Including best practice on how to avoid redundancies with specific guidance non discriminatory criteria/processes for reorganisations and monitoring of the process and the end results