THESE last two years in the north have seen some examples of a sharp fall in care worker pay in a few of the companies in the private sector for care. In addition contracts of employment have been temporary, pay has not covered travel time between patients homes, staff have reported feeling isolated more than looked after by supervisors and patients have reported dissatisfaction.

A strike occurred in Rochdale over a new contract and when I met a trade union steward the first thing they talked about was the people with learning difficulties who were worried about their care. I sensed this was really important about cuts to care to a client group that the public do not hear about much. After months it made a feature in the Guardian newspaper.

When a care worker intermittent strike occurred in Doncaster it took many months but I was pleased to hear a care worker speak the truth about the situation on the Today programme. She described how many care workers want to stay working in caring and get so much job satisfaction but are not coping with really low pay. Well done the media. As a new councillor I find that Bolton Council proposes to commission care that will see care workers at least paid the living wage and on good terms and conditions. As it faces brutal government cuts Bolton Council is not choosing the private sector route for care and instead proposes to set up an Arms Length Company. Some people are saying this is a route to privatisation but this absolutely does not have to be so as England has many long serving social enterprise companies serving people well.

Councillor Susan Haworth

Harper Green Ward

Bolton Council