STAFF who help adults with learning difficulties are celebrating the success of their campaign which saw off a possible pay cut.

Staff at Lifeways campaigned in protest against bosses wanting to cut sleep-in payments. Union UNISON said this would have left staff up to £90 a week worse off.

The cuts were planned to come into effect in January.

Gwen, a support worker with Lifeways, said: “This is great news just before Christmas. The pay cut would have hit us hard.

"I enjoy my job but I was seriously considering leaving to find work elsewhere as I couldn’t see how I could make ends meet.

“This is such a relief.”

The payments were introduced earlier this year to bring wages up to the level of the National Living Wage.

Staff raised concerns about the proposed cut through their union UNISON, and Lifeways have now agreed to continue to pay staff £7.83 per hour for sleep-in shifts.

Lifeways’ move in Bury follows a similar announcement last week in Salford, where the company also dropped a proposal to cut sleep-in pay.

Tim Ellis, UNISON north west regional organiser said: “These are low-paid staff who are doing important jobs and they should be paid properly for their time.”

Lifeways employs support staff in Bury and across the North West to care for vulnerable people.

However things are not so rosy for care staff at Alternative Futures Group, which operates in Oldham, Tameside, Bury and Bolton. It still intends to stop top-up payments in January.

The dispute between employers and staff there is still ongoing.