Capita Life and Pensions staff escalate strike action over pay

Workers at Capita’s Life and Pensions division in Glasgow and Manchester will begin a new wave of strike action on Wednesday 26 March in a deepening dispute over the company’s ongoing refusal to make a fair pay offer for 2024.

Staff based in Glasgow and Manchester will walk out from 06:00 hours on Wednesday 26 March, with strike action continuing until Monday 7 April at 05:59 hours. The action will then resume from 06:00 on Monday 7 April and continue until 23:59 on Tuesday 22 April.

This latest escalation follows 13 previous strike days taken earlier this year (29 January – 4 February and 26 February – 7 March), reflecting growing anger among staff over Capita’s failure to offer a meaningful, consolidated pay increase for 2024.

Capita workers were due a pay award in April 2024, but the company postponed negotiations with Unite, promising a pay rise in October which never materialised. A belated, non-consolidated (one off) pay offer was finally tabled but overwhelmingly rejected by Unite members.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Capita continues to treat its workforce with contempt. Our members have waited a year for a fair pay deal and have been met with nothing but delay, excuses and an offer that fails to meet the cost-of-living pressures they face.

 

“Capita has the financial resources to do the right thing – it’s choosing not to. Unite stands 100 per cent behind our members at Capita in their fight for decent pay.”

 

The dispute centres on staff delivering services for Royal London, who warn that disruption and delays to operations will be unavoidable during the strike period.

Unite national officer Dominic Hook added: “Capita has had countless opportunities to resolve this dispute through proper negotiations, but instead it continues to short change its workforce. 

 

 “Our members are standing firm – they deserve a fair, consolidated pay rise, not piecemeal offers. As a result of Capita’s inaction, its services for clients like Royal London will now be hit by significant disruption.”