Unite charity workers to lobby MPs on 9 March over funding
crisis
16 February 2010
Hundreds of charity workers will be lobbying MPs on Tuesday, 9
March about the deteriorating funding and employment conditions in
the voluntary sector.
The Minister for the Third Sector, Angela Smith MP will be on
hand at the House of Commons to hear at first hand what is
happening on the frontline.
The lobby is being organised by Unite, the largest union
in the country, which has 60,000 members in the Not for Profit
sector.
Unite is worried about:
- the excessive – and stressful - hours culture for staff to meet
the demands of tight contracts
- mounting job insecurity because of the short-term nature of the
funding arrangements
- the current lack of training and development opportunities
- the effect of cost cutting on the well-being of service
users.
Rachael Maskell, Unite’s National Officer, 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.’
‘With 750,000 people working in the sector, passionately
committed and extremely dedicated to providing the best possible
services, it is sad that they often have such limited
resources to support some of the most vulnerable in society.’
Doug Nicholls, Unite National Secretary, Community and Youth
Workers said: ‘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 day will be in three parts – a round table discussion
involving Angela Smith. A mass meeting addressed by the minister;
Unite officers; and representatives of the National Council for
Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and the National Association for
Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA). There will then be an
opportunity for members to lobby MPs on matters of local
concern.
More details can be found on www.unitetheunion.org/fundinglobby
-ends-
NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS:
For further information, please ring: Rachael Maskell, National
Officer, Community and Non Profit Sector 0207 420 8979 or 07768
693933; Doug Nicholls, National Secretary, Community and Youth
Workers Industrial Sector 07970 345 381; Shaun Noble,
Communications Officer (Third Sector) 020 7420 8951 or 07768
693 940
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