Manifestos – what do you want to see?
Submitted by Chloe Stables on Thu, 19/11/2009 - 18:27
NCVO has been out and about talking to our members ahead of the 2010 General Election about what constitutes a good society in order to inform and influence the thinking of politicians of all sides. You can get involved in these discussions over at the good society discussion board.
Here we want to discuss the specifics of what you would like to see in the manifestos - shortly to be produced by the main political parties.
As a starter for 10 (or in this case 8), NCVO has called for a number of measures which include:
- 5 days off a year for employees to volunteer
- A Community Day Bank Holiday
- Gift aid reform (moving from an opt-in to an opt-out system)
- A Social Investment Wholesale Bank
- The removal of restrictions on protest around Parliament Square
- To reduce emissions by 10% in 2010
- A living wage, not just a minimum wage
- Action on financial exclusion - including fairer access to financial services and reinvestment of banks profit to support activities that benefit the public
What do you think is important?
What do you think the next government should prioritise?
And what should we as a sector be asking for from the next government?
Some of these asks directly affect the sector, others are broader - what should the balance be between these asks?
Our association of 200+ Christian charities would like to see a 'level playing field' with regard to access to funds from a variety of sources (both government and foundations) who currently seem to have a rather warped sense that religious charities shouldn't benefit from funding channels. In fact many religious charities deliver an enormous amount of 'public benefit' often through many individuals giving generously to their causes. Let's remove some of the prejudice currently out there! Highlight this issue in the NCVO manifesto.
I am amused by "A living wage, not just a minimum wage" in the context of so many voluntary "internships" with charities at the moment.
For example: Oxfam's "Outreach Support Executive" adverts that have popped up all over the Jobshop. They want a six month commitment to three days a week, and the job description is extensive. In fact, it's pretty much the same as for any paying job, but without a salary or any mention of expenses. And wouldn't that kind of contract make people ineligible for Jobseeker's Allowance - unless the organisation was encouraging fraud.
To be honest, I'm not sure that "internships" like this are even LEGAL under minimum wage legislation as it exists, never mind ethical. When I have had interns I have tried to give them at least some expenses, and I certainly have never demanded a six month commitment or given a job description like Oxfam's. I also made sure they got excellent training for their future benefit.
Shouldn't the NCVO get its own house in order regarding adverts like this before demanding a "living wage"?
I'd genuinely be interested in other people's take on this.
Hi Xanthe,
Thanks for your comment on unpaid internships. NCVO takes a positive view of internships and their value to the sector and to people wanting to gain relevant experience to help get them into employment.
We developed some guidelines which include the following key points:
Unpaid interns are volunteers and unpaid internships are designed to help people find employment and should not affect their benefits provided that they are available for interview and sign on as required. Volunteering is viewed by DWP as a beneficial route to employment and there is clear guidance on the DWP website.
The internship should have the reasonable wages.
I agree that if an employer is able to offer a paid internship then the pay should be at a reasonable level and in keeping with the pay structure for the rest of the organisation. The term internship tends to get used to cover both paid and unpaid roles which can lead to some confusion. Unpaid internships and other forms of volunteering can play a valuable part in enabling people to gain work experience and move into paid work.
NCVO will be publishing its manifesto at our annual conference next week, in advance of that NCVO's CEO Stuart Etherington has written an article for the Guardian setting out his initial thoughts.
He argues that much of the debate running up to the election has been based on false dichotomies and argues we should not allow the debate – and our organisations – to become polarised.
Read the full article here.