Chesterfield Council Housing Workers (UNITE) Strike Calendar

Over 100 housing maintenance workers employed by Chesterfield council will begin strike action next week in a dispute over pay.

The problem came to light during the Covid pandemic when the workers, who are responsible for maintaining and repairing Chesterfield’s council housing stock, were transferred from being paid via a combination of a basic wage and on piece work to a salary scheme. During this time, they received several standard local government pay increases, in line with other council workers.

On investigation the workers discovered that their contracts stated they should receive both a salary (including annual pay increases) and then additional payments based on the work undertaken (piece work). However, Chesterfield council wants to return to the previous system where any increase in the basic pay (such as an annual pay increase) is offset by a reduction in the money they received for their piece work, resulting in the workers not receiving a pay increase.

The piece work rates have not been increased since 2008. The workers estimate that the piece work rates are 70 per cent below market value and they are having to work three times as hard to earn a decent living.