Care workers take centre stage at local government conference

The final afternoon of the UNISON’s 2023 local government conference saw several motions on social care passed.

The session, chaired by UNISON president Andrea Egan, kicked off with a motion on a national care service.

Tony Barnsley, introducing the motion on behalf of the NJC local government committee, said: “The pandemic shone a light on social care for a lot of people in this country.

“On the one hand, we saw minimum-waged heroes putting themselves on the frontline, to care, despite lack of PPE. On the other hand were owners of these privatised care homes, demanding more money from the state.

“It is vital UNISON sends a message loud and clear to this government: you can’t fix free market failure in the care sector with more free market policies. Fixing market failure requires the state to step back in, take control, and run care for the needs of the many, not profits for the few.

“Insourcing, insourcing, insourcing is the solution to market failure.

“We need a national care service established in this country, with the same political vigour and principles that the NHS was created with.”

Mr Barnsley encouraged delegates to read UNISON’s bargaining for insourcing guide. 

Council-provided care

However, a second motion, introduced by Brenda Aitchison on behalf of Scotland, outlined the perils of a national care service that is not run by councils.

In a motion titled ‘council-provided care’, Ms Aitchison explained how, in Scotland, UNISON has opposed the current National Care Service (Scotland) Bill, in part because it is “an attack on local government and the local government social care staff”.

The bill will take social care services out of the control of councils and placed in the hands of care boards. Ms Aitchison said: “If this bill is passed, it will remove democratic control from all councils in Scotland.

“We know we need a national care service. We know change is needed, but that change has to be right for both staff and the service users. Our current system promotes the market approach, which drives down standards of pay and conditions. We need to say loudly – we need to take profit out of care.”

Speaking in support of the motion on behalf of the service group executive, Lorraine Thompson said: “The quality of care provided by the council will nearly always be better than the private sector, primarily because the profit motive does not impede on service provision.”

Caring for our carers

A third motion centred on the need to care for social carers themselves. Introducing a motion on behalf of UNISON’s national women’s committee, Sarah Feeney said: “80% of people working in care are women. A greater proportion are Black women. And they’re treated appallingly.”

Speaking in support of the motion, Valerie Bossman-Quarshie from UNISON Barnet said: “In my experience as a young carer, I did not have enough support, I was paid low wages, working long hours, but I do remember loving those I cared for, and that love has not changed or left me.”

“We must remember young carers, those who haven’t even registered as carers, and those from African and African-Caribbean, Black backgrounds, caring for our ageing population. It’s a good thing we are ageing and living longer, but we should celebrate those young carers when there’s no incentive for becoming a carer.”

Adult social care

A final motion passed on adult social care was introduced by the national LGBT+ committee with Jackie Lewis (pictured) moving.

Ms Lewis told delegates: “There is roughly a 50/50 split in the number of adults receiving adult social care, between those who are retired and those who are working age.

“There will be a significant number of people who are or will be users of adult social care who are LGBT+ local government workers.

“Anecdotal evidence suggests that LGBT+ workers are – and have always been – well-represented among social care workers. However, they are often invisible.

“A workforce where LGBT+ workers are unable to be out at work is not likely to be one where workers can confidently meet the specific needs of LGBT+ service users.”

The article Care workers take centre stage at local government conference first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Social carers in Liverpool secure living wage

UNISON North West has secured the Foundation Living Wage for all care workers commissioned by Liverpool Council. The wage increase will come into place in April 2024.

UNISON’s Stand Up for Social Care campaign began when the union conducted research to see which councils were paying carers above the living wage. 

After securing the living wage for carers across the greater Manchester area, increasing pay for around 25,000 carers, the union’s organisers set their sights on Merseyside.

There are six councils within Merseyside: Liverpool, Wirral, Knowsley, Sefton, Halton and St. Helens. With Wirral already paying the living wage, UNISON members began a campaign targeting the others in October 2022.

In late 2022, UNISON members presented a 3,000-strong petition to the metro mayor of Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotherham, alongside leaders from the six other councils. Members then began lobbying all five councils in the region by attending local meetings.

Knowsley has introduced the Foundation Living Wage, paid into carers’ wages from April 2023, and Liverpool has committed to deliver the wage by April 2024.

UNISON regional organiser, Dan Smith, said: “Care workers are some of the most exploited workers in the public sector. They are overworked and under-paid, with the vast majority employed by private providers who prioritise profits over paying their staff a decent wage.

“UNISON members working in care in the North West have shown it doesn’t have to be like this. By coming together over the last 18 months to fight for fair reward and recognition, they’ve taken action and built pressure to win the Foundation Living Wage at over 60% of local councils in the region. The latest commitment by Liverpool City Council will help boost pay for thousands of workers – and shows other councils across the country have the ability to act now.  

“We don’t have to wait for a change in government for change. Local councils have it in their power now to increase care worker pay. Care workers in UNISON won’t stop campaigning until all councils in our region pay the Foundation Living Wage as a minimum starting salary.” 

UNISON member and support worker Annie said: “This achievement has given me faith that, when workers come together with a common demand and goal, we can achieve things. Never give up the fight.

“Fair pay and working conditions aren’t a given, we have to be constantly fighting and we should celebrate this as a win and take this as encouragement to continue working towards fairer pay and conditions.”

UNISON national officer Gavin Edwards said: “UNISON is totally committed to improving the working conditions in social care. As the biggest union in the sector it is our responsibility to push for a better deal for care workers.

“Our regions and branches are doing a fantastic job at this, but the government must act nationally. That’s why UNISON has launched a ground breaking campaign for a National Care Service in England to finally fund and structure this vital public service properly. This includes pushing for national pay and conditions for all care workers.”

The article Social carers in Liverpool secure living wage first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Care workers in Powys face fire and rehire

UNISON members working for Shaw Healthcare have been forced to accept changes to their contracts or face being fired and rehired. 

Carers will no longer have a paid 30-minute break and their shifts have been extended by half an hour. Shaw has also banned staff from eating prepared food with residents at meal times, which was a contractual right. Now staff will be allowed to eat ‘leftovers’ if they pay. 

Shaw executives have so far refused to negotiate with UNISON Cymru/Wales representatives. On Tuesday 11 April, the union wrote an open letter to Powys County Council warning the authority that its care contractor’s bullying behaviour is completely unacceptable and the firm must be reprimanded.

An anonymous care worker told the Brecon and Radnor Express: “In all honesty, we have been held over a barrel. They are targeting the lowest paid and now we’re getting a pay cut – we are paid for seven hours, but they are asking us to work seven and a half hours. When the company told me I felt sick.

“We know what we mean to the residents and we always put them first. We gave up seeing our own families to look after them during COVID so when, as a parting shot, the company asked us to think of the service, I just didn’t feel like a valued member of staff.”

John Byrne, UNISON Powys County branch secretary, said: “Shaw Healthcare is exploiting hard working staff, who are already low-paid. Care workers give everything to support people in our community, but their employer has been bullying them to give up their rights.

“These are local jobs and it is right for the council to investigate and ensure all care workers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Ultimately, directly provided council care services are the best guarantee of standards for staff and services users.”

The care firm alleges the employment conditions of staff must be slashed if it is to win a renewed contract with the local authority.

UNISON has also written to the deputy minister for social care, Julie Morgan, to complain about Shaw Healthcare. It says the care commissioning process has failed and the need to generate a profit is the barrier to improved care services in Wales.

The article Care workers in Powys face fire and rehire first appeared on the UNISON National site.