Citizens Advice staff to strike in Hull and East Riding over pay dispute

Citizens Advice staff will walk out on 31 July and on 7, 9 and 11 August.

More than 60 Hull and East Riding Citizens Advice workers are to strike for the first time later this month in a dispute over pay.

Staff will walk out on 31 July, with further action on 7, 9 and 11 August.

Unite the union said Citizens Advice (CA) had refused to implement a national pay deal after years of "real terms pay cuts".

But a spokesperson for the charity said it had put forward "an affordable pay offer" amid financial constraints.

Unite regional officer Mike Wilkinson warned industrial action would continue unless wages rise.

"Our members care about the work they do and are not highly paid for it," he said.

"They would rather be helping their clients than be on the picket line.

"Citizens Advice, however, has left them with no choice but to strike."

CA workers voted to strike after the charity refused to increase pay in line with National Joint Council (NJC) scales operated by local authorities, as has been the norm for the last 20 years, the union said.

The NJC has recommended a consolidated payment of £1,925 for all grades.

A spokesperson for Citizens Advice Hull and East Riding said: "Every day we see the huge strain the cost-of-living crisis is putting on people [and] we know our staff who provide a vital service supporting our communities are not immune from this.

"We have put forward what we believe to be an affordable pay offer within the financial constraints we're working under.

"We acknowledge this is difficult for everyone. We will continue to engage with the union, and we hope an outcome everyone is happy with can be reached swiftly."