London UNISON press release:-
"Care staff lobbied London Borough of Sutton Council Adult Services Committee tonight (Tuesday19th June) and handed in a letter to the Committees chairman Councillor Colin Stears to highlight the plight of dedicated care staff
50 care workers looking after vulnerable London Borough of Sutton residents/clients with learning difficulties (previously known as mental handicap). employed by MCCH (a registered charity) are facing the prospect of a 40% cut in their pay, equivalent to £10,000 per annum, some of our qualified nurses face even larger pay cuts.
Many of the clients are ex-Orchard Hill (Carshalton) NHS patient/clients/residents who have been relocated into the community in 2008. The staff have cared for the residents/clients over many years and as former NHS employee have always taken pride in the quality of care they provide.
When Orchard Hill closed, as a NHS employee they were transferred to MCCH (a registered charity) under TUPE arrangements the staff were reassured these arrangements would protect our terms and conditions into the future. They also hoped the London Borough of Sutton would honor those arrangements after it took control of the contract from the NHS.
However, now the care the clients receive and the pay and condition of care staff are facing significant detrimental changes. UNISON understands that the London Borough of Sutton have notified MCCH that they intend to cut significantly the hourly rate they are willing to pay for care.
The Council officers have stated that the reason for the high level of cuts in funding, is due to Central Government ‘s reduction in Council funding, yet as recently as 14th June 2012 Government Ministers have stated that far from being cut extra resources were being made available for Adult Social Service.
The cuts are such, that the pay falls well below that agreed by the Mayor’s London Living Wage commitment of £8.30 and at £7.60 represents a significant cut in our hourly pay. Apart from the loss in pay, the care staff are also set to have cuts to our holiday leave entitlement, sick pay entitlement, London weighting and our pension for our retirement axed. Those single mothers employed by the organisation face particular hardship and now face the prospect of losing their homes as a direct result of these proposals.
Michael Walker UNISON Regional Officer states "The experience of cuts of this magnitude elsewhere in care services has led to the loss of dedicated staff who the clients know and trust, problems recruiting quality staff and high turnover of staff. "The situation is very grave for the is group of long serving and dedicated care staff, UNISON is not going to stand ideally by and watch a spiral of pay cuts to develop in the care sector"
"We urge the London Borough of Sutton to reopen discussions with UNISON and the MCCH to resolve this intolerable and devastating proposal". Kim Brown UNISON Steward at MCCH states "The care staff are truly shocked at the level of pay cuts they are being expected to accept and have no idea how they will be able to pay their bills.
"Some long serving staff are informing UNISON that the cuts in pay are so severe that their take home pay is equivalent to that they were paid 10 years ago, in 2002, Other staff are informing us that their own sons and daughters are earning more at local supermarkets"
NOTE: Paul Burstow MP is the local MP for Sutton and is the Governments Community Care Minister. London borough of Sutton is a Liberal Democratic Controlled Council
