UNITE has launched a petition to stop anti-poverty charity Oxfam from making staff redundant and replacing them with casual and agency workers.

The union said that the outsourcing proposals, currently at the consultation stage, target workers in Oxfam’s publishing team, which is responsible for producing globally respected research and reports, and its training team, which develops staff skills.

It warned that the charity’s plans risk setting a dangerous precedent that could see more secure jobs replaced by precarious work in the future.

The outsourcing is part of a wider redundancy programme that will see Oxfam cut 265 jobs in total. 

While staff face redundancy, their roles are set to be handed to external agencies or casual workers — with no business case provided to justify the decision, the union said.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Any company that dumped its permanent staff and replaced them with casual, non-unionised labour would rightly face criticism from Oxfam.

“Yet that is exactly what Oxfam is planning for its own workers. Oxfam must remember what it stands for.”

The petition can be signed at actionnetwork.org

An Oxfam GB spokesperson said: "We have seen Unite's petition about outsourcing and we are engaging directly with them on this. These proposals are about strengthening Oxfam's financial position to ensure we are able to operate effectively into the future.

"We are not preparing to outsource in-house roles to replace them with casual labour. For relevant services, we will continue to bring in short-term, specialist expertise. This approach has long been part of how we work and helps us respond flexibly and efficiently to the needs of our in-house teams.

"We recognise that outsourcing can raise concerns, especially given Oxfam’s own public stance on practices that undermine wages or workers’ rights. These proposals do not go against that position; we will always uphold our commitment to ethical and fair working practices.

"We’re committed to meaningful consultation and open conversation, and we’ll continue to engage constructively as the process moves forward."