25th June '08 - Debt Management Plan Advice in Short Supply as Volunteers Walk Out
The Citizens’ Advice Bureau in York, an organisation that regularly helps people who are facing bankruptcy or who are in possible need of a debt management plan, is facing a staff crisis after 30 volunteers quit.
The action of the 30 volunteers is a protest at what they perceive to be the unfair dismissal of a colleague. The walkout leaves the bureau with only three volunteer staff remaining, meaning it will have to rely on the ability of paid staff to help citizens seeking debt management plan advice in the hope they can stave-off bankruptcy.
Some have commented that the dispute couldn’t have come at worse time, with so many consumers feeling financial strain as a result of the credit crunch.
Chris Hailey-Norris, Director of the York Citizens’ Advice Bureau, commented on the impact of the walkout, “We are up and running as best we can. Our resources are limited at the moment, but we have made some changes and choices to make sure we continue seeing as many people as we possibly can.
“We have had more paid staff seeing clients directly instead of volunteers, and we are trying to manage the impact. We are still making appointments, but some people will have to wait longer.
“Sometimes we do have shortages and then we have had to shut our drop-in sessions early. We are looking forward to the matter being resolved.”
Meanwhile, the protesting staff said that they sympathise with those having trouble seeking debt management plan advice as well as those who wish to use the bureau’s other services. A statement they issued read, “We apologise unreservedly to them. We feel, however, that this is the only way that we can express the deep anger we feel at the management's handling of this affair.”
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