The Wardman Wire

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Occasionally I post audio items from the BBC Sunday Programme on here.

This one is an interview about a story which has been bubbling away for more than a year, and this is the first major interview I have seen via a main stream source. It is a long interview - 25 minutes - but I recommend it.

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About a year ago the venerable SPCK chain of Christian Bookshops (one arm of the literature work of SPCK - the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, who also do things such as funding libraries in theological colleges) were transferred to a charity called St Stephen the Great Charitable Trust.

The bookshops - of which there were around 25 when transferred to the SSG Trust - historically stock a wide range of religious and secular books, and particularly stock in more academic or specialist titles of the sort that may (for example) be bought by a priest rather than a member of that priest’s congregation. That is a generalisation (and I hope members of congregations who buy academic books will forgive me), but it probably makes the point well. The chain had staff members who were - by and large - book enthusiasts who knew their business and their stock.

SPCK would also stock - for example - several translations of the Koran and specialist books about religions other than Christianity.

It’s probably a fair summary to say that the chain had not kept pace with the market in terms of technology, selling books online, and other areas - and were facing the same pressures as all small bookshop chains, and had therefore been losing money over several years. The relatively broad target market and stocking policy of SPCK would increase those pressures.

Therefore the owners (the SPCK parent charity) were looking for possible solutions, and cut a deal with I think it was probably a rather generous deal in return for undertakings to maintain the range of stock and look after the staff.

Since the transfer took place, a large number of staff (for example 70% of the bookshop managers) have left, and there have been some major management changes - including an attempt to make major changes (which were perceived as detrimental) to the staff contract.

I’m interested in this for three reasons:

1. I think it is necessary to maintain and support critical thought and dialogue within and between religions (just as that is the case within the secularist and atheist traditions). Superficial invective does not help anyone, and SPCK has been one of the key bulwarks supporting critical and knowledgeable interfaith dialogue. That is an important activity at a time when religious faith is coming to the fore in our society.
2. I am personally a long term occasional customer of SPCK, and an enthusiast for independent bookshops.
3. I personally went through through the experience of an attempt to impose an involuntary change of contract. That type of experience is one of the reasons I support the existence of Trades Unions - even though I believe their politics need to be made equitable.

Dave Walker, who features in the interview, has posted about this extensively over the months, and he has published a partial transcript of this interview.

Judging by the interview, the St Stephen’s the Great Charitable Trust are still asserting that there is not really a problem.

I respectfully beg to differ. There is a problem, but we are not yet clear about where the causes were.

Wrapping Up

If anyone can come up (anonymously or otherwise) with a copy of the revised staff contract and/or the original agreement between SPCK and St Stephen’s the Great Trust, I will consider publishing them here as a matter of public interest with a commentary.

You might like to read the SPY blog notes for whistleblowers if you are worried about maintaining your anonymity. You can reach me at mattwardman AT gmail DOT com.

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[tags]dave walker, st stephen the great, spck, society for promoting christian knowledge, spck bookshops, spck bristol, spck exeter, spck leicester, spck durham, spck cambridge[/tags]