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The voice of Scotland’s vibrant voluntary sector

Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

TFN is published by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, Mansfield Traquair Centre, 15 Mansfield Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6BB. The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Registration number SC003558.

Charities which exploit workers will be named and shamed

This news post is about 7 years old
 

​Activists investigating major charities which use zero-hour contracts

A group which names and shames companies which exploit workers has warned charities they could be in the firing line.

Better Than Zero says it is looking at a number of cases where workers are employed by household name charities on zero-hour contracts.

The group wants this practice stopped and says it will use direct action – including picketing and protests – to achieve change.

It has already had spectacular successes in forcing the likes of entertainment giant the G1 Group to change its ways.

Better Than Zero organiser Bryan Simpson has now put charities on a warning.

He told TFN: “We are willing to take action against any employer which exploits it's workers. We have had some reports of the use of zero-hours contracts from charities including some major household names.”

This isn’t the first time charities have been targeted by protestors concerned about employees’ rights.

TFN previously revealed that some charities claimed they were being “blackmailed” into ditching government work-for-benefit schemes by campaigners – with some being threatened with closure if they continue.

Three charities told TFN they were being forced to drop their involvement after being targeted by activists associated with Boycott Workfare.

Read more about the Better Than Zero campaign here.