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| Amnesty International staff go on strike over UK branch cuts | Amnesty International staff go on strike over UK branch cuts |
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| Outside the Amnesty International main offices in London, the world's most polite picket line was taking a stand in the autumn sunshine. Human rights activists and workers went on strike on Wednesday, the first industrial action at the organisation for 20 years, arguing that cuts to the UK office were putting its future at risk. | Outside the Amnesty International main offices in London, the world's most polite picket line was taking a stand in the autumn sunshine. Human rights activists and workers went on strike on Wednesday, the first industrial action at the organisation for 20 years, arguing that cuts to the UK office were putting its future at risk. |
| There was no chanting, no loudhailers, just a few placards carrying the phrase "Workers rights = Human Rights", as employees stood sipping tea and eating cake. The most subversive act of the day entailed quietly asking the postman not to deliver the post. | There was no chanting, no loudhailers, just a few placards carrying the phrase "Workers rights = Human Rights", as employees stood sipping tea and eating cake. The most subversive act of the day entailed quietly asking the postman not to deliver the post. |
| But there was no lack of anger and disappointment, said Maggie Paterson, 67, who has worked in publishing at the charity for 15 years. "None of us want to damage this organisation, we care too much about it, but when you see the whole thing being damaged it really feels like there is no alternative," she said. | But there was no lack of anger and disappointment, said Maggie Paterson, 67, who has worked in publishing at the charity for 15 years. "None of us want to damage this organisation, we care too much about it, but when you see the whole thing being damaged it really feels like there is no alternative," she said. |
| The battle between Amnesty's management and its UK workers stems from a decision last year to restructure the charity, opening more offices in far-flung region using local workers. It is moving from a centralised structure with resources concentrated in richer countries to the creation of regional hubs. | The battle between Amnesty's management and its UK workers stems from a decision last year to restructure the charity, opening more offices in far-flung region using local workers. It is moving from a centralised structure with resources concentrated in richer countries to the creation of regional hubs. |
| The UK section, one of Amnesty's biggest offices and fundraisers, will have to provide 40% of its income to global operations, increased from 30% currently. The London management argues that in order to do this, cuts of £2.5m must be made. | The UK section, one of Amnesty's biggest offices and fundraisers, will have to provide 40% of its income to global operations, increased from 30% currently. The London management argues that in order to do this, cuts of £2.5m must be made. |
| About £1.25m has already been shaved off costs, but the remaining cuts are expected to come at least in part from compulsory redundancies among the 200 part- and full-time workers. Where the cuts will fall is not yet known; workers are set to learn their fate on 25 October. | About £1.25m has already been shaved off costs, but the remaining cuts are expected to come at least in part from compulsory redundancies among the 200 part- and full-time workers. Where the cuts will fall is not yet known; workers are set to learn their fate on 25 October. |
| James Savage, 42, who works in the activism team and has been at Amnesty for 13 years, said the majority of workers in the UK office agreed in principle with the shift in the organisation but were fiercely opposed to the manner in which it was happening. | James Savage, 42, who works in the activism team and has been at Amnesty for 13 years, said the majority of workers in the UK office agreed in principle with the shift in the organisation but were fiercely opposed to the manner in which it was happening. |
| "How could we be opposed to growing the organisation where it is needed?" he said, pointing out that staff voted for a pay freeze last year in an attempt to help the situation. "Staff cuts raise the question of how effective we can be as a campaigning organisation. There may have to be redundancies but the scale and pace at which they want to make these changes mean they are inevitable, and we don't think they are." | "How could we be opposed to growing the organisation where it is needed?" he said, pointing out that staff voted for a pay freeze last year in an attempt to help the situation. "Staff cuts raise the question of how effective we can be as a campaigning organisation. There may have to be redundancies but the scale and pace at which they want to make these changes mean they are inevitable, and we don't think they are." |
| Other workers argue that the risks of opening offices in sometimes dangerous regions have not been properly assessed, and fear that human rights work could be compromised. "There is a real lack of transparency about what is going on," Paterson said. "Carrying on with these changes without a serious understanding of what you are risking and how it is going to work in the future is quite scary. It feels like we have been thrown to the crows." | Other workers argue that the risks of opening offices in sometimes dangerous regions have not been properly assessed, and fear that human rights work could be compromised. "There is a real lack of transparency about what is going on," Paterson said. "Carrying on with these changes without a serious understanding of what you are risking and how it is going to work in the future is quite scary. It feels like we have been thrown to the crows." |
| Workers are concerned that campaigning – the reason many of them get out of bed in the mornings – will be outsourced to other offices. "I have supported Amnesty all my life, but my fear is that what is happening to the organisation is willfully endangering its future," Paterson said. "Amnesty is being treated like a balance sheet or a multinational corporation and it is so much more than that." | Workers are concerned that campaigning – the reason many of them get out of bed in the mornings – will be outsourced to other offices. "I have supported Amnesty all my life, but my fear is that what is happening to the organisation is willfully endangering its future," Paterson said. "Amnesty is being treated like a balance sheet or a multinational corporation and it is so much more than that." |
| Inside the very quiet Amnesty offices, management-level staff were still working. The campaigns director Tim Hancock said London managers recognised the staff's anxiety as the organisation experienced significant changes. "Obviously we are disappointed staff feel the need to strike, but as you might expect from Amnesty International we entirely respect their right to do so," he said. | Inside the very quiet Amnesty offices, management-level staff were still working. The campaigns director Tim Hancock said London managers recognised the staff's anxiety as the organisation experienced significant changes. "Obviously we are disappointed staff feel the need to strike, but as you might expect from Amnesty International we entirely respect their right to do so," he said. |
| The decision to restructure and move funds away from London was made democratically by the organisation's international committee in 2011, and was therefore not up for discussion, although management staff would continue to talk to workers about a range of issues including how the cuts would be implemented, Hancock said. Redundancies were likely, but he stressed that the UK office remained committed to activism and did not want to simply become the "cash cow" for the organisation. | The decision to restructure and move funds away from London was made democratically by the organisation's international committee in 2011, and was therefore not up for discussion, although management staff would continue to talk to workers about a range of issues including how the cuts would be implemented, Hancock said. Redundancies were likely, but he stressed that the UK office remained committed to activism and did not want to simply become the "cash cow" for the organisation. |
| "The biggest risk to Amnesty is to do nothing at all," he said. "If we continue to operate without making these cuts we would severely endanger this section's financial health." | "The biggest risk to Amnesty is to do nothing at all," he said. "If we continue to operate without making these cuts we would severely endanger this section's financial health." |
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