Trade union Unite has launched a petition against Oxfam’s plans to cut up to 265 jobs and alleged aims to outsource some of the roles.
Unite accused the international development charity of planning to replace permanent staff with “casual, non-unionised labour” and said workers fear more roles could be targeted if the charity decides that outsourcing is acceptable
The union claimed that Oxfam plan to replace secure jobs with casual work in the charity’s publishing and training teams.
However, the charity said it was not planning to outsource in-house roles, but rather “continue to bring in short-term, specialist expertise” for some services.
Oxfam announced in April that 265 jobs at the charity are at risk of redundancy as part of its effort to save £10.2m per year in salary costs.
Unite: ‘Oxfam must remember what it stands for’
The union’s proposals are at the consultation stage and are the first step in a wider campaign to pressure Oxfam to roll back the redundancy programme.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Any company that dumped its permanent staff and replaced them with casual, non-unionised labour would rightly face criticism from Oxfam.
“Yet that is exactly what Oxfam is planning for its own workers.
“Oxfam must remember what it stands for. Unite is committed to fully protect jobs in a charity that should know better.”
Unite regional coordinating officer Jamie Major said: "There are two things at stake. Firstly, outsourcing creates a two-tier workforce and flies in the face of Oxfam's mission to fight poverty.
“Secondly, Unite believes that this will set a precedent for other roles in the organisation.
“We’re calling on all staff and supporters to sign our petition demanding Oxfam keep these jobs in-house. The more people who sign, the stronger our voice will be."
Oxfam: ‘We are not preparing to outsource in-house roles’
An Oxfam GB spokesperson said: “We have seen Unite's petition about outsourcing and we are engaging directly with them on this.
“These proposals are about strengthening Oxfam's financial position to ensure we are able to operate effectively into the future.
“We are not preparing to outsource in-house roles to replace them with casual labour.
“For relevant services, we will continue to bring in short-term, specialist expertise. This approach has long been part of how we work and helps us respond flexibly and efficiently to the needs of our in-house teams.
“We recognise that outsourcing can raise concerns, especially given Oxfam’s own public stance on practices that undermine wages or workers’ rights.
“These proposals do not go against that position; we will always uphold our commitment to ethical and fair working practices.
“We’re committed to meaningful consultation and open conversation, and we’ll continue to engage constructively as the process moves forward.”
Oxfam has recorded three annual deficits over the past five financial years, including a £28.4m shortfall for the financial year ending March 2024.
The charity implemented a hiring freeze on non-business-critical roles since July 2024, and projected that its wage bill will rise from £69.6m in the current financial year to £78.2m in 2025-26.
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