Domestic Violence Advisors take Solace charity to CAC over recognition fight

Domestic Violence Advisors at Solace Women’s Aid in Tower Hamlets have formally applied to the Central Arbitration Committee (CAC) for statutory recognition of their union, United Voices of the World (UVW). Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) provide emotional support, safety planning, risk assessments and advocate with police, social services and housing.

This dispute extends back to January 2025 when workers at the Tower Hamlets Solace balloted to strike over significant redundancies, despite the borough having the second-highest level of domestic abuse cases in London. Management sought to cut staff by a third, which UVW said would severely impact vulnerable people, predominantly women, and the quality of essential services.

In February 2025, the Solace Women’s Aid workers announced an indefinite strike, following a 100% vote in favour of action on a 92% turnout, following Tower Hamlets council’s refusal to resolve the matter with the workers.

One month later, the threat of 33% redundancies was officially withdrawn, resulting in the workers calling off their strike. The victory followed a particularly high-profile campaign supported by the local community and MPs.

However, in June 2025, workers said Solace Women’s Aid had reneged on a previous agreement to recognise UVW, an agreement they said had been made during their dispute earlier in the year. The issue became a multi-site action as Tower Hamlets were poised to take strike action with their own ballot still live, meanwhile in Barnet Solace, workers had opened a strike ballot in response to unmanageable workloads.

While Solace initially indicated a willingness to negotiate a voluntary recognition of the union, the charity has since failed to follow up on agreed timelines and has stalled discussions, leaving the process at a standstill.

Management has proposed excluding union representatives from annual negotiations unless permitted to attend on an ad hoc basis — a move that fundamentally undermines the purpose of trade union recognition.

Workers say they are no longer prepared to depend on informal arrangements. After months of stalling that have eroded trust, they have submitted an application to the CAC to secure a clear and enforceable framework for union representation.

One of the advisers said:

Last summer, we agreed to work collaboratively with management on union recognition and suspended industrial action in good faith. Seven months later, no meaningful progress has been made. While we advocate every day of survivors of abuse, we feel our own voices continue to be disregarded by the charity we work for. We had hoped to reach a voluntary agreement, as originally agreed, but this now appears unattainable.

UVW general secretary Petros Elia told the Morning Star:

Management’s continued stalling and unreasonable proposals are leaving front-line domestic violence advisers without a formal voice at work and undermining trust and morale. These are front-line workers doing emotionally demanding, lifesaving work, yet they are locked out of decisions about their own jobs. Union recognition exists to give workers a collective voice and basic protections at work. It is not an unreasonable demand; it is the bare minimum.