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Shelter staff back on strike this week

Finance | Gareth Jones | 22 Apr 2008

The trade union Unite has confirmed that staff at housing charity Shelter will hold further strike action on two consecutive days this week.

On Thursday 24 and Friday 25 April, staff will protest once again at proposed changes to pay structures and working hours.

While the deadline for signing revised contracts varies depends on the length of the employee's notice period, Thursday will see the first group of staff members having their employment terminated unless they accept the new terms.

It is believed that around 20 of the contract rebels fall into this category.

Alan Scott, regional industrial organiser at Unite, said there was no alternative but to take more action.

“Sadly, our members feel that they have no other option. They are frustrated that this seems to be the only way to communicate the depth of their frustration over management’s insistence that their pay and terms must alter for the worse.”

Shift in emphasis

However, in an apparent shift of emphasis from recent statements, Scott also called on the Legal Services Commission (LSC) to amend its funding processes.

“One of the main causes of this dispute is the way the Legal Services Commission funds voluntary sector organisations.

“The LSC’s strict conditions are causing major headaches for charities and having a serious negative impact on workers such as the skilled staff at Shelter.

“We, therefore, urge the LSC to modify their funding structure, enabling this dispute to be brought to a satisfactory conclusion, and safeguarding essential service provision to vulnerable people.”

'Not LSC's responsibility'

Crispin Passmore, director of the Community Legal Service at the LSC, said the Commission did not hold responsibility for how organisations compete for tenders.
 
“It is not for the LSC to determine the terms and conditions that apply to the staff in more than 5,000 law firms and agencies contracted to deliver legal aid services. 

“We value the work done by Shelter and recognise the commitment of its staff - just as we do all those lawyers and advisers delivering high quality legal aid services.”

Passmore added that the LSC had worked hard with individual not-for-profit organisations, such as Shelter, Citizens Advice Bureaux and Law Centres, to help them reach high standards of legal advice and management.

Now 'able to compete for contracts'

“We are confident that they are now able to compete to win contracts for the delivery of civil legal aid and already they are winning competitive tenders for the delivery of telephone advice and Community Legal Advice services against private law firms and major services companies.”

He added that transitional payment arrangements to help ease third sector providers in to a new system of fixed fees have been in place since April 2007.

“The LSC will continue to work with individual not-for-profits through the current period of transition. However, our focus must be on legal aid clients rather than on the individual organisations undertaking publicly-funded work.”

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