Commenting on proposals by the New Conservatives group of MPs that would reduce drastically the number of visas for overseas care workers, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said today (Monday):
“The care system is on its knees, as any family trying to secure decent care for a relative is only too aware.
“The government has done nothing to solve the growing crisis in care. Now a group of its MPs want ministers to make things a whole lot worse.
“Thankfully Number Ten has dismissed these calls. But under the government’s watch a care sector that’s many thousands of employees short has become heavily reliant on workers from overseas.
“While wages stay barely above the legal minimum, the sector will never be able to encourage enough UK-based workers to consider careers in social care.
“Migrant workers in care are helping prop up a broken system that’s not far off total collapse.
“The shortcomings in care are piling on the pressures elsewhere in the health service. Yet the recent NHS workforce plan barely mentioned social care.
“Nothing short of a total overhaul of the sector and the creation of a national care service, with rates of pay mirroring those in the NHS will now do. Cutting the number of migrant workers without a plan to fix care is beyond foolish.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175E: press@unison.co.uk
The article Cutting migrant staff without a proper plan to fix care is beyond foolish, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.