Scottish charity plans to cut pay and benefits for staff

One of Scotland's largest social care charities is proposing to cut salaries and reduce sick and maternity pay for 2,000 staff. Quarriers said the...

One of Scotland’s largest social care charities is proposing to cut salaries and reduce sick and maternity pay for 2,000 staff.

Quarriers said the changes were necessary to protect jobs and remain competitive at a time when local authorities are being forced to slash funding for care providers.

The Renfrewshire-based charity provides services to adults with disabilities and children and families across the UK.

It was unable to clarify the scale of cuts to staff salaries when contacted by Community Care, but it has confirmed its intention to cut sick pay so that staff would not be paid for the first three days of any illness-related absence.

The charity is conducting a 90-day consultation with unions on the plans to cut maternity and paternity pay to the statutory minimum. Employees on the final salary pension scheme would have to increase their contribution by 3%.

A spokesperson said there would be no planned redundancies if the cost-saving measures go ahead.

Paul Moore, chief executive of Quarriers, said: “These are very difficult times for the social care sector in Scotland and across the UK.

“Many organisations are struggling due to the increased financial pressures faced by local authorities, who are their main sources of funding.

“Quarriers is not immune and the charity has to act now to safeguard staff and the people we care for.”

Scottish government revenue funding for councils is set to fall by 4.4% in real terms in 2011-12. Moore said the proposed changes would allow Quarriers to be more competitive when tendering for local authority contracts.

Unison members at Quarriers voted to strike over a pay dispute in 2007 after talks with management broke down.

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