The RSPCA is the only national charity with a commitment to rescuing stray and injured animals, and prosecuting cases of animal cruelty. Since 2019, however, a new leadership team have become increasingly irrational and authoritarian, imposing ‘business’ decisions which have hit workers hard.

In 2020 they led the way in forcing through ‘fire and rehire’ contractual changes, a practice which has now affected over 10% of Britain’s working population. Heavily diluting terms and conditions, these changes removed maternity, holiday pay, and sickness leave from contracts, leaving hardworking animal workers vulnerable to exploitation.

Months later, this was followed by a swift set of redundancies which reduced the workforce by around 20%. The short-termism and stupidity of this decision was laid bare following the pandemic, when financial pressures were eased at the exact moment that demand for animal rescue services spiralled out of control.

The pandemic saw a surge in pet ownership, peaking at an unprecedented high of 62% in 2021/22. Months later, the cost of living crisis started to bite, leaving many deprived of access to veterinary care. In August 2022, the RSPCA reported a 24% increase in pets being dumped, with an additional 4,500 animal abandonment reports compared to the previous year.

It is therefore bizarre that the Society made a snap decision to sell their flagship London animal hospital to another charity, at the exact moment their services were badly in need. Just six weeks ago, staff at the Finsbury Park Animal Hospital were informed by management in a chaotic meeting that they would be sold to the PDSA, a charity with literally no experience in the rescue sector.

Fortuitously, Unite the union was well-established at the charity, and immediately mobilised to protect jobs and animal welfare. Membership at the hospital snowballed from just 25% to over 90%. The two charities seem entirely unprepared for this response, and also shockingly vague about the details of the transfer.

One Unite member spoke of the impact of these proposals. ‘We are the only RSPCA animal hospital in London, and the decision caused me a huge amount of stress and anxiety about my future. We are dedicated and relatively underpaid workers who just want to look after stray dogs and cats. Why would they do this?’

Two indicative strike ballots showed the strength of feeling among members. The first ballot showed 67% in favour of industrial action. By week three of consultation, it was 100% in favour. Consultation revealed that neither charity had a coherent idea of the financial, employment, or veterinary repercussions of the sale. Legitimate questions by members about their future were met with ambivalence or confusion.

The PDSA refused repeatedly to protect the union’s recognition agreement, leaving a sour taste in the mouth of animal workers. In transfers of this type, working rights are protected under TUPE legislation, but this has been watered down by successive Tory governments. New employers are free to alter terms and conditions for ‘economic, technical or organisational’ reasons, which gives malevolent bosses free reign over hard fought-for rights.

The animal sector has embraced unionisation in recent years with enthusiasm and resolve. Both the Blue Cross and the Mayhew Animal Charities have won recognition agreements, after years of stagnant wages, managerial bullishness, and unwarranted ‘restructures’. This is broadly reflected across the charity sector, where millions of workers have awakened to a creeping neoliberalisation which takes their compassion for granted.

It is therefore a small but highly significant win for the charity sector that the proposed sale collapsed humiliatingly this week, with the PDSA pulling out of the sale, and senior RSPCA managers forced to apologise to indignant staff for their ill-judged and insensitive proposal. It is extremely rare for TUPE transfers to be hastily cancelled in this way and very much reflective of the tenacity of union members.

In typical corporate fashion, RSPCA managers refused to commit to long-term job protection at the site, behaving with disturbing opaqueness to workers who had just been put through unnecessary hell. The hospital, a beloved and historic site which treats over 10,000 animals per year and has close links to the Finsbury Park community, remains at risk of closure.

Workers have shown, however, that determined industrial organising is a highly effective strategy, and has brought the nation’s two largest animal charities into chaos and disrepute. For humans and animals alike, charity is a cold grey thing. RSPCA workers will continue their endeavour for universal solidarity.