TUPE'd staff at a meeting in the Oaks Hotel in Burnley last week let Neil Campbell know exactly what they think.
Since the first article on this blog about pay cuts by the Alternative Futures Group (AFG), we’ve been contacted by support workers who have been TUPE transferred after AFG took over NHS and local authority contracts. Terms and conditions amongst TUPE’d staff vary, but some TUPE’d staff have estimated that once a 25% cut in basic hourly rate and the removal of unsocial hours enhancements is taken into account, TUPE’d staff will suffer a pay cut of around 30-40%. This will leave many of these support workers with a huge decrease in income which could put many of them in danger of losing their homes or facing bankruptcy as they are unable to keep up with payment schemes they had agreed to before AFG took over their workplaces and threatened to slash their pay.
One anonymous TUPE’d support worker from Lancashire said:
“They want to cut our wage by £7000 per year before tax (this is by reducing our hourly rate by 25% and not paying weekend rates , night rates or any unsociable hours), also they propose that we work 2.5 hrs a week more, that we give up over 2 weeks holiday entitlement a year and that any sick pay benefits we have are given up “
Some AFG support workers have attacked TUPE’d staff as being too well-paid or being responsible for pay cuts in general. This is misguided and dangerous. Staff on NHS terms and conditions have, historically, been better paid than those on private sector terms and conditions because they have stood up for themselves and fought. We should be working together with TUPE’d staff to raise our terms and conditions, not collaborating with management in a race to the bottom.
Many TUPE’d staff have shown a willingness to stand with us and fight against these attacks by AFG’s management together, it would be madness to spurn this offer.
Carers Talk 
The above comments in respect of both Tupe transferred Staff & AFG Staff are most appreciated, we need to stand together as one to send a clear message to Neil Campbell et al that what he proposes to inflict on both groups of Support Workers shall not be tolerated.
Thankyou to all concerned & please do not give up the fight…….you have the ‘moral’ highground !
its totally immoral, unethical, selfish and dam right illegal im sure. we work dam hard to support service users to live their lives to their full potential. and deserve a medal as well as a decent wage at the end of the week. its not only staff who are going to suffer but also the service users who afg profess to be the number one priority…..
good point yvette but when managers are put under pressure to make efficiencies they will always look down,after all they dont want to lose their job.this is unethical and dangerous and in a client focused person centered way because the losers will always be baseline staff and service users.
the care they recieve will be deminished to a point of no return,involving inexperienced ,untrained,un inducted staff at the point of provision. for the sake of money.
there are managers out there that are surplus to requirments however they will be on £100,000+ per year that dont or have never met your service user yet it is their job to make cuts and they are not going to say they are the surplus. So get ready for realtime future disasters on a regular basis…and lots of grievance for all involved…..strike and co-dependance on all support staff who are tupe…
can we all get a grip and stand together instead of bickering. we ALL have different circumstances and priorities and should not be made to feel bullied into doing and saying things that we dont feel comfortable with.just because we dont shout and sceam about things doesnt mean we dont feel just as strongly about our situation. we need to all pull together instead of falling out amongst ourselves
I agree Lesley and have just one question to all AFG TUPE and nursing staff members .What are management going to do if none of us sign the new terms and conditions ???????????? they are saying we will be dismissed so how can they cover over 2000 jobs please
Indeed. AFG are relying on people being intimidated by talk of instant dismissal for refusing to sign contracts. They know that they’ll be stuck if a lot of us refuse to sign.
It’s true that staff feel intimidated and frightened. We’re carers not campaigners, but what is happening to us is so wrong.
It would appear that AFG think we are of little worth and totally dispensable. I think they are taking advantage of the economic gloom and the job market at our expense.
If AFG can pay its CEO £150,000 + undisclosed bonuses, things can’t be that bad.
We have to oppose and fight these cuts. Any fair minded person can see that it’s opportunist and cruel. Come on AFG and TUPE support staff, let’s care about each other – because nobody else does !
I agree Blanche well said.
Well saidvBlanche but you will never ever in a million years get management caring about the staff at the bottom of the tree. Certain people will NOT be losing sleep at night frightened that they are going to lose their home, they live in swish properties and don’t give a flying fig about us and they never will. Giving us patronising promises that they wish they could alternative reductions is balderdash. My husband and I along with our hard working DECENT,bCARING colleagues intend to oppose this disgusting treatment to the end. HOPEVYOUR READING THIS AFG