2/4/2014

Nerve FACT statement

Nerve and FACT have collaborated closely in the past, and this has been productive for both organisations, so we are hugely disappointed that FACT have decided to dismiss workers and then use zero hour contract staff or volunteers to fill their jobs. It is with regret that we have to announce that, unless FACT reconsider their position with regards to these changes in working conditions, we can no longer work with them. Nerve stresses that this stand is about organisations and not individuals, who sometimes have little choice in how they make ends meet.

As with all our culture at the moment, our access to the arts is being hit by mounting government cuts. Nerve believes that how community arts organisations react to these cuts will show how truly they believe in helping the community they serve. When we heard that FACT were making people redundant and then using zero hour contracts and volunteers to compensate for this, we were shocked.

The use of zero hour contracts - where workers are called in at unpredictable times, get no holiday or sick pay, can't plan their finances because of uncertainty in levels of pay, and are not even able to take on other work because they have to be available for that employer, is degrading. What's more, zero hours are discriminatory against women, because they are generally the main carers in families. Also this practise has an effect on benefits and pensions.

That FACT have sacked paid workers and replaced them with volunteers is another unacceptable action by this charity.

FACT receive funding from Liverpool City Council, so how do FACT square this move to a casualised workforce with LCC's 'Living Wage Policy' or with their public face of “Working across some of the most economically and socially deprived areas of Liverpool”?(1)

What should FACT do?

Nerve believes that community organisations are answerable to the community, and have a duty to involve everyone in discussions, especially their own workers, about how they function, starting from the basis of equality, fairness and justice to all. Nerve believes that the way forward is to set up workers' co-operatives (such as News from Nowhere). FACT should 'open the books' to allow a full and frank discussion on how to proceed along these lines. This would provide community organisations with an example of how they should respond to government cuts in funding.

1. Liverpool Fairness Commission was an independent body established by Liverpool City Council in April 2011. The Commission was tasked with bringing forward practical and imaginative ideas to make Liverpool a fairer city, to tackle disadvantage and equality, promote employment and prosperity and open up opportunities for every Liverpool citizen.
A key conclusion of the report is the need for an ongoing campaign, to embed the principles of fairness at the heart of Liverpool's political, business and civic life and the establishment of a living wage. liverpool.gov.uk/mayor/mayoral-commissions/liverpool-fairness-commission

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Comment left by Alex on 2nd April, 2014 at 13:00
Have you spoken to FACT prior to publishing this? FACT is a not-for profit charity, which, like many other organisations such as Bluecoat, TATE, Liverpool Museums etc (even Oxfam and other massive organisations) hires voluntary staff which it relies on to stay open and free to the public. I worked voluntary and paid for FACT and can say that they are not the type of organisation who take these tough, economical decisions lightly.