Stephen Bowen, the executive director of Amnesty International’s branch in Ireland, has informed nearly half of its staff about temporary lay-offs and reduction in working hours due to the organisation’s ongoing financial struggle. These actions are set to commence as early as next week. The forced measures come after the organisation expressed its inability to cover the entirety of September’s payroll.
Out of the 29 employees stationed in the Dublin-based Fleet Street office, 11 are bound to face the adverse effects of the impending budget cuts, four will experience temporary unemployment while seven are to grapple with lesser working hours than usual during this phase.
Siptu’s Karen Smollen, representing most of the staff, conveyed the union’s prior efforts to liaison with the management over an extensive period, including a 10% reduction in hours and wages that staff collectively agreed upon last year. Wednesday’s surprising announcement struck a devastating blow to a committed workforce, she mentioned.
The layoffs, as per Smollen, are temporarily intended to stabilise the NGO’s financial position, whereas voluntary redundancies are also to be made accessible. Though currently, the organisation lacks the resources to sponsor such redundancies. Members are both crestfallen by the unprompted redundancy notice and worried over their financial stability, Smollen said.
Despite the challenging period, Smollen confirmed the union’s commitment towards collaboration with the management and urged the board to make every possible effort to protect the long-term employment status of Amnesty’s staffers.
As per a recent statement, Amnesty International Ireland is facing an immediate cash-flow crisis and has reluctantly decided to put several staff members on a temporary layoff. This decision is an urgent part of a transformative plan to ensure the organisation’s survival in Ireland. The amendment will affect 11 staff members, with changes effective from September 6th. Although the organisation regrets this necessary step, it anticipates emerging as a stronger, more adaptable, financially stable human rights organisation, whose voice is of utmost importance in a world fraught with discord.