The Irish branch of the international NGO Amnesty International has announced temporary staff layoffs due to a “temporary cash flow crisis.”
The layoffs and reduced working hours will begin on September 6th, and will impact 11 of Amnesty Ireland’s 29 staff members.
“It is with great regret that Amnesty International Ireland has made the difficult decision to place a number of staff on a temporary layoff,” the group said in a statement.
“This decision has not been taken lightly and, due to a temporary cash flow crisis, is immediate in nature.
“The temporary layoffs are part of a significant programme of transformation that has been adopted to secure the future of the human rights organisation here in Ireland.”
In response to the announcement, SIPTU has appealed to the Board of Amnesty International Ireland to use all available options to secure the employment of its staff.
“Last year, our members took a 10% cut to their hours of work and their salaries as part of a recovery plan but this was not enough to meet the shortfall in finances,” said SIPTU Organiser Karen Smollen.
“Our members are devastated by the layoff announcement, particularly the short notice given, while they struggle to make ends meet,” Smollen said.
Amnesty International’s self-declared mission is highlighting human rights abuses, though they often engage in social campaigning, such as the annual Pride March, or last year’s #IrelandForAll pro-migration march in Dublin.
Join us in solidarity at the #IrelandForAll march this Saturday.
— Amnesty Ireland (@AmnestyIreland) February 13, 2023
We will march against racism, in solidarity with those most marginalised and call for
Human Rights for All. #RefugeesWelcome pic.twitter.com/C5MV4ttFBo