Members of the union UNISON who participate in round-table discussions with activist group Generation Rents are to receive gift vouchers for their trouble.
A statement on the union website says: “The roundtables in mid-April will be open to all union members who privately rent, and participants’ time will be reimbursed with gift vouchers.”
The union says it’s working with Generation Rent to improve conditions in the private rented sector in England and wants to ensure that the Renters Reform Bill provides what it calls ”a lasting solution to our broken private rented system.”
UNISON assistant policy officer Sylvia Jones says: “UNISON and Generation Rent share a vision that private renters deserve the right to a decent, secure and affordable home. Currently, private renters are at the sharp end of the housing crisis, with a higher proportion of their income going on housing costs, but often living in poorly maintained homes.
“With so many working people struggling to pay the rent, now is the time for the voices of renters to be heard and for politicians to wake up and introduce fairness in renting.”
UNISON member Ann McKelvey - who has worked in education for 24 years and is currently an employability skills and pastoral tutor in Leeds - says on the union statement that she cannot afford her rent.
She comments: “I’ve maxed out my credit cards and I owe money to my friends and family. I haven’t paid my gas, electric or council tax in a year. I care about young people’s education. It’s always been a big thing for me to see kids thrive, but this work doesn’t pay. It makes me feel worthless. I’m doing my best but feel so undervalued, it’s like I’m being punished for working in a school.
“Landlords don’t want to keep up their properties, and they always find a way to pass the costs onto us. If I was in a council property, I’d be paying £300 less in rent than I am now. But there are no council properties. We need more council homes.”
The roundtables are a bid, the union says, to “gain more insight into the issues our members face, raise this with politicians and fight for improved rights, protections and affordable housing for private renters.”
Want to comment on this story? Our focus is on providing a platform for you to share your insights and views and we welcome contributions.
If any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.
Please help us by reporting comments you consider to be unduly offensive so we can review and take action if necessary. Thank you.
.jpg)
.png)
Comments have been disabled for this article and all previous comments are no longer being shown.