UNISON, the UK’s largest union, is calling on charity Turning Point to stop bullying its staff and to start practising what it preaches.
The charity works with people with mental illness and substance misuse problems, and supports people with learning difficulties. Its chief executive recently criticised the police for failing people with mental illness. However, when it comes to its own staff the charity’s concerns seem to go out of the window.
Turning Point has recently threatened all its 2,600 staff with the sack unless they agree to new and worse contracts – causing huge amounts of stress and anxiety. The changes would cut staff terms and conditions dramatically, with some staff facing possible pay cuts of up to £10,000.
The charity has also taken away vital protection from staff by de-recognising UNISON, just as staff need their union more than ever before. When the union organised a peaceful protest outside the charity’s London HQ it threatened to call the police.
UNISON members working for the charity in the West Midlands held a day of strike action on 26 April and are considering the next steps in their campaign.
Simon Watson, UNISON national officer, said: “Turning point claims to be a compassionate organisation caring for vulnerable people, but when it comes to the charity’s own staff compassion goes out of the window.
“It is a disgrace that staff are being threatened with the sack unless they sign up to worse terms and conditions. The charity’s actions are causing untold worry and stress to staff.
“We are calling on the charity to withdraw the dismissal notices and new contracts that staff are being bullied into signing, and to start practising what it preaches by treating its workforce properly.”
