Oxfam workers in UK to hold strike ballot over ‘poverty pay’

Survey found 8% of charity's employees had used food banks in the last year and 22% had been unable to pay rent

Oxfam workers are voting to strike for the first time over pay as some staff say they have been forced to use food banks and cannot afford to pay their rent.

The union Unite has accused Oxfam of hypocrisy, saying the charity publicly condemns real-term wage cuts while paying its staff poverty pay".

The union said most of Oxfam's office and retail workers earn little more than the minimum wage and that a recent survey found that staff were struggling amid the cost of living crisis.