Local youth and community worker, Luke Campbell, has been elected as Vice-Chair of the Community, Youth Workers, and Not-for-profit National Sector Industrial Committee with Unite the Union.
A former employee of youth work organisations in Pilton, Muirhouse, and Wester Hailes, Luke has also been an adult educator with English language provision services, and a Support Worker for care-experience young people and adult suffering mental health issues.
Representatives from throughout the U.K. & Ireland met in London earlier this month to establish priorities for Unite the Union’s activities over the coming two years, and Luke was elected Vice-chair.
A member of the Scottish Socialist Party, Luke said: “I stood on a ticket of ensuring Unite doesn’t service the Labour Party, but rather represents our all party and non-party affiliated members; safeguards young workers and those in precarious or sessional positions who are most at risk when challenging employers; and that extends its vision to all regions of the U.K. & Ireland.”
With Brexit set to wreck havoc with many charities and support services – often funded from the European Social Fund – strategy conversations ranged from the status and protection of European workers post-Brexit to the problems facing organisations working in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Luke emphasised the need to address the ‘goodwill’ the Third Sector relies on, stating that “too many organisations trust our desire to work within our communities, supporting those facing marginalisation, whilst offering minimal training, low pay, and casual contracts.”
“Workers end up shifting between sessional contracts in several jobs and leave post when they can no longer endure poverty pay, unreliable working hours, and all manner of exploitative practices. We then leave post without challenging these practices and the next worker suffers the same poor conditions – and not just in the community sector but also service industries and more.”
In closing, Luke set out his priorities as ensuring organisations are not permitted to continue to hire staff on exploitative contracts – citing the sleep-in payments offered by organisations (including in Edinburgh) that no not meet the minimal pay standards for overnight on-site shifts.
He also hopes to see an audit of accredited Living Wage Employers to ensure they are not breaching their award by underpaying overnight workers or outsourcing to cut costs; and talks are underway over membership dues that can protect workers without becoming a financial burden.
The Edinburgh Branch of the not-for-not division of Unite the Union meet once a month in the city centre. New and existing members are always welcome to attend.
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