Shelter Dispute
Fwd from Shelter Shop Stewards | 04.12.2008 11:24 | Workers' Movements
Shelter staff campaigned and took strike action from March to May this year to defend jobs, conditions and services and, through this, to defend Shelter's reputation as an independent housing and homelessness charity.
Our action and your kind support in challenging Shelter's chief executive meant Shelter was forced to reduce its programme of downgrading advice posts to 32, around a third of those originally intended. But, using the threat of dismissal, our Senior Management managed to enforce a double pay cut for staff by extending the working week and abolishing incremental pay.
When faced with changes in funding arrangements for legal advice, and the competitive tendering the Government introduced, Shelter's senior management adopted a disastrous approach. Rather than act co-operatively with other organisations similarly affected in the 'not-for-profit' sector, Shelter led a 'race to the bottom' for the prize of larger contracts on worse conditions. As we predicted, far from providing a more stable future for the charity, this approach has undermined Shelter's services and contributes significantly to its current financial dire straits.
Things are anything but stable at Shelter now, where staff have been hit by another 33 compulsory redundancies this winter, and some of the new Legal Service Commission (LSC) contracts are being lost. There are fears of further attacks on working conditions and jobs as an outcome of Management's planned review of staff roles across the organisation in April 2009.
Something needs to be done now and, together with front-line workers from other organisations providing advice and services to vulnerable people, we are mounting a campaign through Unite the union and are lobbying the LSC to call for a review of how local services are funded and delivered. Please see the attached leaflet, publicise this widely and lend your support to the lunchtime lobby on Monday 8th December.
When faced with changes in funding arrangements for legal advice, and the competitive tendering the Government introduced, Shelter's senior management adopted a disastrous approach. Rather than act co-operatively with other organisations similarly affected in the 'not-for-profit' sector, Shelter led a 'race to the bottom' for the prize of larger contracts on worse conditions. As we predicted, far from providing a more stable future for the charity, this approach has undermined Shelter's services and contributes significantly to its current financial dire straits.
Things are anything but stable at Shelter now, where staff have been hit by another 33 compulsory redundancies this winter, and some of the new Legal Service Commission (LSC) contracts are being lost. There are fears of further attacks on working conditions and jobs as an outcome of Management's planned review of staff roles across the organisation in April 2009.
Something needs to be done now and, together with front-line workers from other organisations providing advice and services to vulnerable people, we are mounting a campaign through Unite the union and are lobbying the LSC to call for a review of how local services are funded and delivered. Please see the attached leaflet, publicise this widely and lend your support to the lunchtime lobby on Monday 8th December.
Fwd from Shelter Shop Stewards
Additions
When homelessness is a business
04.12.2008 12:53
I know I sound cynical but I have worked in the homeless "charity" sector in the past as well as being a service user many moons ago. After suffering from the great social disease of homelessness,I gained a job in that sector working for St Mungos` housing "charity".I use the word charity very losely,as it seemed to me that the only thing charitable about this orginisation was it`s status,for taxation purposes. As outlined in the above post,this sector is a great way of earning money off of other peoples misery,and in the current economic climate a booming industry. In my expirence in working with these orginsations all they care about are profits.These managers are on very good salaries,the last thing they want to see is homelessness eradicated as they would become jobless and possably homeless themelves.
I found that working with grassroots squatting movements a direct way of gaining shelter and empowerment.
I found that working with grassroots squatting movements a direct way of gaining shelter and empowerment.
Cynical Cyril
salarys
04.12.2008 13:52
i agree cyril i to was homless for many years,and not by choice, social services failed me, as soon as i turned 18, out on the street so to speak, i have done various voluntry work with the homless, and you are right what is regarded as a charity by society and the tax man ,is not by us,same goes for the big housing assocations on a charity basis in this area, they dont give a crap about its tenants welfare,
shelter;s useless, if im not mistaken a while back in indy, month or so ago are they not pushing some government idea with money on the top.
when i have asked shelter for advice for clients, i no more then, them, usless even going to shelter no good,no advice to give,oh go to the night shelter is a good one,well its allways full up.what advice is that ,when its cold, wet,and you are hungry.
shelter;s useless, if im not mistaken a while back in indy, month or so ago are they not pushing some government idea with money on the top.
when i have asked shelter for advice for clients, i no more then, them, usless even going to shelter no good,no advice to give,oh go to the night shelter is a good one,well its allways full up.what advice is that ,when its cold, wet,and you are hungry.
Davey
Comments
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The LSC
05.12.2008 14:48
Increasingly posts spring up and then become redundant as management go searching for clients. The problem this presents is that shelter end up looking for clients in areas where there is already some foundation in place to support those in need as these areas are the ones where other organisations are most likely to provide referrals, these are not always the areas that are most in need though.
I would like to think that challenging the LSC would be fruitful but i can't see it happening. The government seem to be very keen on measuring success based on targets and shelter management appears to be 100% in support of the government policy and have treated shelter staff with utter contempt throughout the last dispute.
It's a sad situation that is fairly indicative of the whole country at this moment in time.
The latest insult was a 2% pay increase which amounts to yet another cut in real wages.
No Shelter
working in the homeless 'sector'
07.12.2008 15:23
I also agree that squatting is a much more empowering solution to homelessness, and I have lived in and been involved in squatted social centres in London. (although this just isn't a solution for many homeless people, who have huge amounts of problems with drugs, alocohol and severe mental probems). But to really deal with homeless would entail a total overhaul of many facets of UK society: dealing with the lack of cheap, decent, housing, massive inequality that leaves many people marginalised in care/prison from a young age, increasingly reactionary policing, among other things. Unfortunately, I don't think these things will change much on the national scale anytime soon. Hopefully though, more smaller scale solutions will start to emerge.
Criatura
Charitable status
08.12.2008 16:39
Too many organisations have 'charitable' status for tax purposes only. The behaviour of the organisation is rarely charitable, with lip service being paid to the aims and ethos of the organisation. A means of bringing in the dosh to pay executive salaries. Too many are like Shelter, in a race to the bottom to gain government contracts. Many legitimate businesses suffer from this unfair competition. Charitable status is also used as an excuse to pay low wages (apart from those at the top of course) or to use unpaid volunteers to force down wages.
Shelter
Shelter lost all credibility when it took government money to promote eco-towns.
Housing associations
Look at Pavilion, now part of First Wessex. They treat their tenants like serfs. A means to an income, nothing more. Pavilion, for tax purposes, is registered as a charity
training organisations
CDG, A4E, Working Links are operating nothing but a scam. They abuse and bully the unemployed, no training, no genuine help for vulnerable people. CDG is a registered charity, but there is nothing charitable about the way they treat either their staff or the unemployed. Some unemployed have the misfortune to find themselves back at CDG for the third time.
Youth Hostel Association
The YHA lost its way in the 1980s, with mere lip service paid to its charitable aims of helping all, but especially the young, to enjoy and explore the countryside. YHA is a membership organisation, and yet its members are kept in the dark. It is now little more than a dosshouse chain of cheap hostels aimed at ch bottom end of the tourist market. A substantial portion of the income goes on administration.
Keith
poverty pimps...
08.12.2008 18:10
reformistsngos