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Unison has called on the Scottish government to provide better funding for the care sector
Care workers at one of Scotland’s biggest health charities have announced plans for two days of strike action.
Staff at Enable Scotland in Glasgow and Lanarkshire will walk out on Tuesday and Thursday this week as part of an ongoing pay dispute.
The union Unison claimed workers in the care sector had been underpaid for too long, and called on the Scottish government to provide better funding for the sector.
Enable and Unison have agreed life-and-limb cover for the two days of strike action, meaning those most at risk will be protected.
The union has argued care workers have been underpaid by about £5,500 since April 2022, which it says is due to the Scottish government not matching carers’ pay with NHS rates.
Unison estimates that while workers within the NHS are paid £13.22 an hour on Band 2 of the NHS pay scale, those working outside the health service earn £12.60.
Enable and the Scottish government have been contacted for comment.
Strike action previously took place across Scotland in May and June.
The union’s general secretary Christina McAnea said striking was not staff wanted, but claimed they had no other choice.
She added: “They deliver vital care to some of the most vulnerable people in the country, yet their wages simply aren’t enough to live on.
“The Scottish government must do the right thing by better funding social care and showing workers that they value them by paying them fair, decent wages.”
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Unison intends to deliver “invoices” to the office of Health Secretary Neil Gray
As part of the industrial action, employees will hand over symbolic “invoices” to the office of Health Secretary Neil Gray, calling for payment of their outstanding earnings.
Unison Scotland regional organiser Jennifer McCarey said only “substantial improvement to the hourly rate for care workers in Scotland will save the sector from disaster”.
The Scottish government’s social care minister, Tom Arthur, said he hoped Enable and Unison would resolve the dispute.
He stated: “Whilst pay negotiations are a matter for trade unions and employers, I urge both parties to continue to work together to reach an agreement which is fair for the workforce and affordable for Enable.
“We are committed to further improving support for the social care workforce and the introduction of sectoral bargaining for the commissioned adult social care sector is progressing well.
“Once in place this will help see improvements in pay, and terms and conditions.”
An Enable spokesperson said additional pay beyond the real living wage would be dependent on external funding.
They added: “We would welcome a national pay settlement for the charity sector social care workforce which is on a par with pay deals for care workers in the public sector.”