Leonard Cheshire staff fight pay cut

Home care staff working for disability charity Leonard Cheshire in
north-east England are fighting changes to their contracts that
would reduce their pay.

They say the losses could amount to £200 a month from a
£650 wage.

Under the changes they would lose pay for time travelling between
clients, have their holiday entitlement reduced and their mileage
allowance cut.

A reduction in the mileage rate has already been imposed, but other
changes have now been deferred.

A promise of a 1.5 per cent increase in the hourly rate for the
current year has also been deferred until more talks have taken
place with individual staff members and public sector union
Unison.

A charity spokeswoman said: “We are bringing the conditions into
line with our other home care staff.”