TGWU launches campaign for voluntary sector workers

A charter of rights for people working in the voluntary sector
is to be launched today by the Transport and General Workers’
Union at the TUC in Brighton, writes Clare
Jerrom.

The ACTS section of the union, which represents over 25,000
workers in the voluntary sector, will launch the union’s
campaign pack “Valuing the Voluntary Sector – Quality
Conditions for Quality Services”.

Jennie Formby, T&G national secretary for ACTS, who will be
speaking at a fringe meeting in Brighton where all unions will be
joining together in the campaign for change, stressed the campaign
was vitally important for workers, employers and service users.

“More and more we are seeing the government put pressure
on local authorities to involve the voluntary sector in delivering
local services. The trade unions want to make sure that those
people involved in actually delivering the services are properly
represented in this new and pressurised environment,” she
said.

She added that education secretary Ruth Kelly’s speech
last week about education illustrated the government’s view
that local government should move more to commissioning rather than
delivery of services.

The campaign pack includes briefings on campaigning for change,
negotiators guide for model funding conditions and bargaining for
equality.