Staff at a children's charity walked out on strike today in protest at the imposition of contracts that will give new workers far worse terms and conditions than existing employees.
The action at the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is believed to be the first at a national, household-name charity. A strike was narrowly rejected in a ballot organised by Amicus over job losses at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals earlier this month.
The 20 CPAG staff, members of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU), will strike for a day after a 98% vote in a postal ballot. Last minute talks between the union and management failed to agree a way to prevent the stoppage.
The staff are angry that contracts for new starters will reduce sick pay entitlements, limit annual leave and do not make provision for compassionate leave. Instead they want to see staff join the charity on the same terms as existing staff.
The CPAG, a leading campaign group on poverty and welfare rights issues, has an income of around £2m a year and has stable finances. The proposed new contracts are understood to result from a review of staff terms and conditions by the charity's trustees.
The TGWU's regional industrial organiser, Alan Scott, drew attention to the charity's anti-poverty platform. "Staff are deeply unhappy about the imposition of new contracts and think it inappropriate, given the aims and objectives at CPAG."
The charity's key aims include bringing about "positive income policy changes" for families with children in poverty.
The CPAG's director, Martin Barnes, said the charity had offered to go to the conciliation service Acas and would reopen negotiations at any time. "All options are on the table," he added.
Stephen Bubb, chief executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, said the CPAG strike, coming on the heels of the dispute at the RSPCA, showed that "industrial action is now clearly an issue in the voluntary sector". He added: "Charities and unions need to work together in partnership. We need to find a better way to resolve disputes than having strikes."
