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Charities

Scottish Animal Welfare Charity Workers to Strike Over Chronic Low Pay

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Staff at the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) will stage a 24-hour walkout on November 5 after the union, Unite, rejected a two-year pay offer that amounts to a significant real-terms pay cut. The strike comes as a result of years of chronic low pay, with employees claiming they are being forced further into poverty. The SSPCA has a chief executive earning around £100,000 per year, while its unrestricted income funds in 2024 reportedly reached £39.34 million.

Key Takeaways:

  • Around 140 SSPCA workers, members of Unite the union, will stage a 24-hour walkout on November 5 due to chronic low pay.
  • The rejected SSPCA pay offer amounts to a 1.6% increase on average, with some members having their pay frozen.
  • The SSPCA's financial situation is complex, with a chief executive earning around £100,000 per year and unrestricted income funds in 2024 reaching £39.34 million.
  • Union members have raised concerns about increased workloads, understaffing, and a possible end to the SSPCA's living wage employer status.
  • The row highlights a disconnect between the charity's high-profile chief executive and its underpaid staff, with union representatives claiming the SSPCA has tens of millions in reserves.
  • The SSPCA has engaged in "open and constructive" consultation but has refused to make a revised pay offer, leading to the strike action.

Statistics:

  • 140 SSPCA workers, members of Unite the union, will stage a 24-hour walkout on November 5.
  • 62 out of 139 union members voted in favor of strike action, representing 14% of the paid workforce.
  • The rejected SSPCA pay offer amounts to a 1.6% average increase, with some members having their pay frozen.
  • The SSPCA's chief executive earns around £100,000 per year.
  • The SSPCA's unrestricted income funds in 2024 reached £39.34 million.
  • The broader cost of inflation hit 4.5% in September.

Sources:

  • "SSPCA staff to strike over 'chronic low pay'" (The Herald), cited in the article.
  • Unite the union's official statement, cited in the article.
  • News headline and article, cited in the byline.

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