Alternative Futures Group care support workers to strike this weekend over sleep-in shift pay cut

Care support workers employed by the Alternative Futures Group (AFG) will take strike action for 48 hours beginning at 7am on Saturday (2 March).

The staff care for vulnerable adults who live in their own homes and need support at night.   

The staff are on low wages and are facing significant cuts to their incomes due to AFG’s decision to reduce sleep-in top-up payments by £15 for each shift.  Some staff work three of these shifts each week and face a cut to their income of more than £2,000 a year.

AFG are cutting the income of their staff despite there being no cut in the funding that they are receiving from the local councils who commission the services.

A ballot of 660 members of the trade union UNISON returned a large majority (87%) in favour of striking. AFG pulled out of Acas talks aimed at resolving the dispute earlier this month (February).

There will be strike rallies on Saturday in Liverpool, Burnley, Rochdale and Tameside.    

Emma, a care support worker employed by AFG said: “I’ve not been on strike before but I’m at my wits’ end.  The sleep-in payments are a lifeline to me and my family. I can’t afford to carry on working in this job if they don’t pay us for our time.

“I love the job I do and the service users. The care users’ families have been very supportive – they know we’re doing this for the good of the service. Things can’t go on as they are and we’re all supporting each other to make sure AFG change course.”  

UNISON North West Regional Organiser Tim Ellis said: “AFG have acted opportunistically and prematurely in cutting sleep-in top-up payments. AFG have not suffered any cut to their income from councils, and yet they are choosing to cut the incomes of low-paid care staff.

“It is hard for care support workers to take strike action. They care deeply about the service users they support and take pride in the service they provide.  But many staff are finding it hard to continue working in the care sector because of poverty pay and the toll that the work takes on family life. Sleep-in top-up payments form a really important part of workers’ incomes and help them to be able to afford to stay in their jobs. For the sake of the viability of the service and the well-being of service users, it is vital that these payments are restored.    

“The staff are taking strike action this weekend because AFG has pressed ahead with cuts to their incomes. AFG needs to do right by their staff and the service users and reach an agreement to restore sleep-in top-up payments.”

A spokesperson for Alternative Futures Group said: “We continue to be extremely disappointed that Unison has decided to call for a walk out of AFG support worker members who do sleep-ins on 2/3 March.

“The action is being taken by less than 10% of the workforce.

“Our primary concern is the potential impact this has on the vulnerable people we support.

“As a responsible organisation, we have taken all the necessary steps to ensure that the people we support have the care and support they need during this action.

“Unison action is entirely unnecessary and unfounded. AFG has attempted to negotiate with Unison through ACAS. However, Unison has refused to publish progress made and therefore talks have broken down.

“AFG is a not-for-profit charity providing care and support for over 1,000 service users in the North West and employing 2,500 people. We have done this successfully for more than 26 years.

“The funding we receive from local councils for sleep-in care does not cover the costs to pay our support staff national minimum wage. For the last four years the charity has subsidised this shortfall to the tune of £8.1m but this is now no longer sustainable.

“Social care funding is in crisis and we urge the Government to address the issue urgently so that providers (like AFG) receive the appropriate funding to pay our hard-working, dedicated support staff a fair and proper wage for the excellent care they deliver.”