Scottish Oxfam workers are set to go on strike for the first time over low pay as the anti-poverty charity is accused of "hypocrisy".
Staff are balloting on industrial action after rejecting a "substandard" pay offer after reports some workers are forced to rely on food banks.
Around 66 Oxfam staff in 39 charity shops across Scotland could be affected as hundreds of workers prepare to walk out.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Oxfam's hypocrisy is astounding.
"This is a charity in robust financial health that makes much of belonging to the Ethical Trading Initiative and bestowing the virtues of unions to life workers out of poverty."
"Meanwhile, Oxfam's own staff are on poverty pay, with some using foodbanks and unable to pay their rent."
She said the charity could "well afford" to pay a reasonable rise without the "slightest impact" on its operations.
It comes after Oxfam GB office and retail workers rejected a pay offer of £1,750 or six per cent, plus a one-off payment of £1,000. Average wages at Oxfam have fallen by 21 per cent in real terms since 2018, the union said.
A recent survey of nearly 150 Oxfam workers found that in the last year eight per cent had used foodbanks, while 22 per cent had not been able to pay their rent and 34 per cent had to choose between heating their homes and feeding their families.
Workers are "angry", Unite says, that their request for a pay rise that "reflects historic low pay, rocketing living costs and the charity’s healthy finances has been denied".
This is after staff had voluntarily accepted pay freezes for two out of the last five years, the union said, resulting in a real terms pay cut of more than 21 per cent per employee on average since 2018.
Read more: Scotland school closures loom as strikes expected
In response, Oxfam has said it has given staff a real terms pay increase over the past 12 months.
An Oxfam GB spokesperson said: “As a real living wage employer and an organisation committed to tackling poverty, Oxfam is acutely aware of the impact of the rising cost of living on colleagues and addressing that is a priority for us.
"That is why we chose to bring forward pay increases for lower paid colleagues and why we have ensured that these colleagues will have received a real terms pay increase over the past 12 months.
“We believe this pay award is fair and it is at the limit of what Oxfam can afford without taking vital resources away from our work fighting poverty with communities around the world.
"Colleagues understand that we face limited resources and tough choices and we hope they will recognise that when casting their ballot.
“We value the work of our trade unions and would much rather have reached agreement with Unite but what they are asking for is simply not affordable at a time when many of the communities we work with are also facing sharply rising costs.”
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