Up to 100 staff at private care homes in Wandsworth face a miserable Christmas after being told they could each be dealt a £2,000 pay cut.

Employees of Odyssey Care Solutions, which provides housing and support for adults with learning difficulties across the borough, have been told the cuts will come into force next April.

But staff and unions say the company has failed to carry out a proper consultation and are set to launch a campaign to reverse the decision.

One care and support worker, who has worked for Odyssey for 12 years and did not want to be named, told the Guardian she believes they want to get rid of senior staff to bring in assistant workers on £12,000 per annum.

She added: "Odyssey say they carried out an independent survey which shows they pay more than other companies and they therefore intend to cut our salaries.

"I am one of 44 senior staff who earn £18,500 and they are planning to cut our salaries to £16,126 that's £165 less a month after tax.

"They say they are planning to create 20 senior posts which we can all apply for, but not all of us will get the jobs and will have to take the cuts."

Geoff Martin, of Battersea and Wandsworth TUC, said: "These workers will be providing high level care right through the Christmas period and for them to be rewarded in this way is a disgrace.

"We are calling on the company to play fair by their workers and to drop this proposed cut in pay immediately."

No-one from Odyssey was available for comment.

Last week, Wandsworth's Tory councillors voted unanimously in favour of plans to hand over all new home care work in Battersea, Putney and Roehampton to agency staff from New Year's Day.

In-house care staff fear they will be get less work but the council has stressed no jobs will be lost and there will still be a high standard of service.

December 20, 2001 10:30