AFG taking a big cut from funding it receives

As UNISON members at Alternative Futures Group (AFG) take a third day of strike action today, the union has released figures that reveal that AFG’s raid on staff incomes is unnecessary. The company has cut care support workers’ top-up payments pay for sleep-in shifts. This is costing some staff as much as £2,000 a year. The care support workers are only paid at the level of the minimum wage for their regular hours and many are struggling to stay in the care sector due to not being paid adequately at night. Staff have received great support for their strike action, with a public petition hitting some 13,000 signatures. AFG receives funding from 15 public authority commissioners across the North West. The amounts commissioners pay toward the cost of employing staff to work sleep-in shifts vary. However, all but two (Rochdale and Warrington) pay more than the £73.89 per shift that would cover the minimum wage rate for staff. But AFG does not pay this money to staff. Instead, the company takes 29% for itself – far in excess of non-wage employment costs such as National Insurance and pension contributions. AFG’s accounts show that the company has high – and rising – overhead costs, Governance and support costs were £7.5m in 2016/17 and are forecast to reach £9m in 2018/19 – a 20% increase in two years. The accounts also show that AFG pays a higher percentage of its income to top managers than all of its competitors. AFG’s executive pay policy cost it £221,00...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: Article News adult social care Industrial action local government Sleep-in payments strike Source Type: news