[Scotland] Call for minimum wage to rescue social care workers from ‘poverty pay’

A major Scottish trade union has called for care and support workers to be paid at least £15 per hour to help tackle the cost of living crisis, LocalGov reports.

The call came on October 25 following the release of a new survey by Unite Scotland which found more than half of social care workers run out of money before their next payday, with one in five not being able to afford to use energy at home.

Nearly one in ten workers are also skipping meals to save money, with 45 per cent relying on credit cards or an overdraft to pay for essentials, according to the survey’s findings.

Unite Scotland is calling for a £15 per hour minimum wage for the social care sector and urgent assistance with increased mileage costs and parking charges.

“It is absolutely shocking that Scotland’s dedicated, hard-working social care staff are paid so poorly that they are falling into debt, skipping meals and not heating their homes,” Mary Alexander - Unite Scotland’s deputy Scottish secretary - said.

“Something has gone very wrong when £1.45bn is being spent across the sector but the workforce is on poverty pay and is worried sick that corners are being cut on the service they provide to the vulnerable.”

Source: LocalGov

(Quotes via original reporting)

A major Scottish trade union has called for care and support workers to be paid at least £15 per hour to help tackle the cost of living crisis, LocalGov reports.

The call came on October 25 following the release of a new survey by Unite Scotland which found more than half of social care workers run out of money before their next payday, with one in five not being able to afford to use energy at home.

Nearly one in ten workers are also skipping meals to save money, with 45 per cent relying on credit cards or an overdraft to pay for essentials, according to the survey’s findings.

Unite Scotland is calling for a £15 per hour minimum wage for the social care sector and urgent assistance with increased mileage costs and parking charges.

“It is absolutely shocking that Scotland’s dedicated, hard-working social care staff are paid so poorly that they are falling into debt, skipping meals and not heating their homes,” Mary Alexander - Unite Scotland’s deputy Scottish secretary - said.

“Something has gone very wrong when £1.45bn is being spent across the sector but the workforce is on poverty pay and is worried sick that corners are being cut on the service they provide to the vulnerable.”

Source: LocalGov

(Quotes via original reporting)