Council ‘topping up’ leisure centre wages

SWANSEA Council is topping up the wages of furloughed staff employed by a company which runs leisure centres in the city.

Freedom Leisure took over the running of the LC and a number of other council-owned leisure centres in 2018, partly to save the council money. Income has been decimated by the virus lockdown, and furloughed Freedom Leisure staff have had 80% of their wages paid for by the UK Government.

A council scrutiny meeting heard the council was topping up the remaining 20%.

Cllr Chris Holley said he was worried the council might be setting a precedent for other companies to apply to the council for additional support.

Council leader Rob Stewart said many of Freedom Leisure’s staff in Swansea were previously council employees, and that topping up furloughed wages was an “important part of our principle of trying to ensure that nobody loses out during the Covid period”.

Other financial support for not-for-profit Freedom Leisure is being considered.

Cllr Stewart said: “I think what we have come to is a deal which ensures, as best as we can, that Freedom Leisure are stable long term so that they continue to run leisure centres for us and provide the services they are contracted to do.”