‘Not for Profit’ job Losses ‘Worse Than’ Charity Commission Figures

LONDON - CHARITY and SOCIAL AFFAIRS Correspondents

LONDON, March 17 /PRNewswire/ –

Unite, the largest union in the country, believes that the picture for
charities, particularly job losses, is bleaker than the latest Charity
Commission research reveals.

The Charity Commission’s Economic Survey of Charities, released today
(Tuesday, 17 March), reports that 52% of the charities surveyed have been
affected by the financial downturn; of these, 58% have experienced a decrease
in income.

Rachael Maskell, Unite’s National Officer, Community and Non Profit
Sector, said: ‘The reports we are receiving from our officers and reps on the
ground reveal the picture is considerably bleaker than the commission’s
findings.’

Rachael Maskell called for the Office of the Third Sector, the government
department responsible for the country’s 170,000 charities, to do more
detailed research into the current state of job losses and the knock-on
effects for services to clients.

She said: ‘What happens is that job losses are being disguised by
so-called ‘reorganisations’ and ‘restructuring’. When one funding stream for
a small charity is not replaced, one or two jobs are lost. The ‘drip, drip’
effect is becoming a flood.’

‘When the commission reports that 32% of charities say they have taken
steps to combat the effects of the downturn, this can be translated into more
people being thrown out of work.’

Rachael Maskell said that the government’s GBP42 million bail-out for
recession-hit charities, earlier this year, did not make any provision for
employment support, but was concentrated on such schemes as volunteering and
a modernisation fund.

‘The sector employs 600,000 staff and the services they provide during
this recession, especially in areas such as housing and employment advice,
and relationship counseling need greater financial support from the
government.’

Source: Unite the Union

NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS: Rachael Maskell, National Officer, Community and Non Profit Sector, Tel: +44(0)207-420-8979, Tel: +44(0)7768-693933; Doug Nicholls, National Secretary, Community and Youth Workers Industrial Sector, Tel: +44(0)7970-345-381; Shaun Noble, Communications Officer (Third Sector), Tel: +44(0)20-7420-8951, Tel: +44(0)7768-693-940