The trade union Unite is holding a mass meeting at the House of Commons to lobby MPs on “deteriorating funding and employment conditions” in the charity and civil society sector.
The union is hoping to attract “hundreds of charity workers” to the meeting on Tuesday 9 March, which will be addressed by minister for the third sector Angela Smith as well as representatives of NCVO and Navca.
Issues the union wishes to highlight include:
- An “excessive and stressful” hours culture as staff attempt to work to tight public service delivery contracts
- Job insecurity as a result of short-term funding
- A lack of training and development opportunities, and
- The effect of cost-cutting on service-users.
Rachael Maskell (pictured), Unite’s national officer for the not-for-profit sector, said: “We want to work with the minister to reverse the short-term contract culture that is afflicting employees and users of the sector’s services. A situation that was causing serious concern is turning into a crisis.”
Doug Nicholls, Unite national secretary for community and youth workers, added: “The quality of services are being put at risk by the drip-drip withdrawal of funding and this needs to be addressed by government and the senior managers of charities.”
The meeting will take place at 2pm, and will be followed at 3pm by the chance for attendees to lobby MPs. It will also be preceded by a roundtable meeting at Portcullis House involving 12 union reps and Angela Smith.
Walkout at National Gallery
Meanwhile, yesterday warders and security staff at the National Gallery walked out for two hours between 12 noon and 2pm in protest at low pay.
The strike was the first in a series of walkouts planned by the Public and Commercial Services Union, which is unhappy with a pay award which it says will leave most warders earning as little as £7 per hour.
