Workers rally at Holryood to protect care homes in crisis
Care home workers rallied outside Holyrood today to mark five years of broken promises since lockdown.
GMB Scotland members in social care demonstrated outside the Scottish Parliament to call for the improvements to pay and conditions promised after the pandemic.
Earlier, a delegation had met health secretary Neil Gray and social care minister Maree Todd to explain how care workers feel “abandoned then betrayed” since Covid.
The rally at Holyrood comes days after a GMB survey of 800 workers revealed conditions for staff and residents in private care are the same or worse than during the pandemic despite promises of change.
Almost 90% said wages are no better now than during Covid despite promised improvements as workers call for fair wages, sick pay and better working conditions.
Kirsty Nimmo, GMB Scotland organiser in private care, told the rally that ministers must act to ensure improvements to pay and conditions promised after the pandemic are delivered.
She said: “On Monday, it was exactly five years since the start of lockdown when workers like you kept Scotland on its feet when the country stayed at home.
“Right through the pandemic, frontline workers like you, our members in social care, went to work, to care for the frail and the elderly, for vulnerable Scots when no one else could.
“Many of you were not given the equipment needed to protect yourselves and your families. Many of you were not given the advice you needed to protect yourselves and your families.
“But you went to work in spite of that and your skills, your commitment saved countless lives while risking your own.
“After it was over, we were promised that would, finally, be recognized, that you would receive fair pay, that you would receive sick pay, that your conditions would recognize the crucial work you do every single day.
You were promised £15 an hour minimum wage, you were promised £36m would be ringfenced for social care. You were promised fairness.
Were those promises kept? No, they were not. What has changed? Absolutely nothing.
"This cannot stand. It cannot continue."
The GMB Scotland survey released on Monday, the fifth anniversary of lockdown, of 800 members in private care reveals that pay, conditions and levels of care have not improved in most homes.
The poll shows 62% of care staff believe working conditions have not improved since lockdown; 82% said staffing levels are no better; and 86% said their wages are no better now than then.
More than half (52%) said their homes have not improved health and safety procedures since the pandemic.
Nine out of ten (87%) say owners are more interested in profit than giving staff fair pay and decent conditions.
Last year, unions urged the return of £38 million of funding ringfenced for social care but secretly cut from Scottish Government budgets while progress towards the promised £15 an hour minimum wage has stalled.
