A quarter of staff facing redundancy while senior management wages increase 47%

More than 100 workers at the London-based International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) will strike over planned redundancies and attacks on collective bargaining.

The workers, members of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are striking after the ITF’s management initiated an organisation-wide restructuring that includes cutting a quarter of the workforce this year.

The workers voted by 89 per cent for strike action and 90 per cent for action short of strike action on a turn out of 89 per cent. 

The number of senior management roles is not being impacted by the proposed cuts even though wages for leadership positions increased by 47 per cent from 2021 to 2024. The ITF’s general secretary total compensation was £309,000 in 2024, making it one of the highest paid union positions in the world.

Unionised staff are also being threatened with the possibility of compulsory redundancies if they do not agree to tear up their existing collective bargaining agreement and replace it with a toothless document prepared for management by external consultants.

Unite regional officer Mercedes Sanchez said: “The treatment of these workers by ITF’s leadership is totally unnecessary and unacceptable. The counterproductive cuts and attacks on collective bargaining must be scrapped. Unite will support our members 100 per cent until that happens.”

While male-dominated roles in senior management have been protected, the restructuring plan proposes to downgrade pay and intensify work in roles where there is a higher concentration of women.
ITF management is citing financial challenges but has refused to provide the financial disclosure requested by Unite on behalf of staff. This is now the subject of a complaint to the Central Arbitration Committee.

The proposed staff cuts are draconian and will have an adverse impact on the union’s ability to provide services to its affiliates. Savings can be found before taking an axe to jobs and services.

The workers will take strike action on 22 and 29 July, while an overtime ban and work to rule will be in place from 17 July. Industrial action will intensify if the dispute is not resolved.

Unite regional officer Mercedes Sanchez added “ITF affiliates approved an ambitious five-year vision at their congress in October 2024, not severe staff cuts that will prevent that workplan being delivered. Entire departments would be decimated under the proposed restructure, in some cases leaving only a single staff member behind. These cuts are short-sighted and self-destructive.”

ENDS

For media enquires ONLY contact senior Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215 or 020 3371 2065.

Email: ryan.fletcher@unitetheunion.org

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.