Capita IT services staff prepare to strike amid pay row

Unite union claims outsourcing giant's pay structure is 'paltry' and urges it to renegotiate

Some of outsourcing giant Capita's IT services staff are set to strike this Friday amid a pay row.

IT and pensions staff who belong to the Unite union are set to take part in a 24-hour walkout over the company's decision to impose a pay deal which would see 90 per cent of staff receive a pay increase below inflation. Unite claims more than a third of staff members' pay will rise just 1.1 per cent and that the walkout will cause customers "significant disruptions".

Unite said Capita staff think the pay system is neither fair nor transparent, and labelled it "paltry", especially in light of the firm's 10 per cent profit hike and increasing shareholder dividend payouts.

Unite national officer Dominic Hook urged Capita to return to the negotiating table and recognise workers' contributions.

"Workers from Capita will take strike action this Friday and this will cause significant disruption to the company's clients," he said. "It is time for Capita to take this dispute seriously if it wants to avoid this imminent strike. Hard-working staff are getting a real-terms pay cut when profits are up by 10 per cent."

Some 84 per cent of workers at the IT services division approved strike action on a turnout of 65 per cent.

In a statement, Capita said it was disappointed that Unite was planning industrial action.

"Less than 10 per cent of the workforce across the affected areas voted to strike, so we are confident that service delivery to clients will not be adversely affected," the statement read.