Low paid care staff are celebrating a huge equal pay victory after South Lanarkshire Council agreed their more complex roles should be reflected in their pay packet.
After a successful appeal, the local authority will now pay home carers the same hourly rate as staff working in residential homes.
This will mean an increase in hourly pay for home carers by at least £3 an hour to at least £16.24 after GMB Scotland joined other trade unions to fight the council’s initial decision to refuse the carers equal pay.
But despite the big win, trade unionists are set to rally at council headquarters in Hamilton at 1.30pm this afternoon to press the issue over backdated wages.
It is understood the equal pay victory may cost the local authority more than £10million in backdated wages if the pay rise backdates to the start of GMB's appeals in October 2020, which would involve multi-million pound payments.
GMB Scotland convenor Harry Scott said: "We are happy the council has agreed home carers deserve to be paid the same as their colleagues. That is the right and fair decision but the pay must now be backdated to when this process started.
"That is also right and fair. It is what our members deserve and it is what our members will fight for. They will be happy to train for a new qualification but their role and responsibilities are the same today as when this process started.
“Home carers do a crucial, difficult job in often fraught circumstances. They have stepped up when asked to do more and take on more responsibilities and it is only right that is recognised in their wages.
“It is absolutely right for them to be paid the same as colleagues working in care homes.”
The leading trade union argued a role once known as a 'home help' had, in recent years, become far more complex with additional responsibilities, including giving personal care, administering medication and drugs, and assisting with medical procedures.
However, those increased responsibilities had not been reflected in increased pay and, after the unions twice appealed the decision to refuse equal hourly rates for all carers, South Lanarkshire Council has now agreed the increase.
GMB Scotland organiser Cara Stevenson said: "This is a great achievement for our home care members and I am extremely proud of them for carrying on the long fight to get what they deserve. I hope other care workers look at this result and are inspired to organise to fight for the same recognition of the vital work they do."
Kay McVeigh, South Lanarkshire Council's head of personnel services, said the local authority "hugely" values the work undertaken by all its staff and would "always seek to recognise and reward their efforts".
She added: “Following additional information presented at the appeals process this month the grade outcome increased. Along with this was a requirement for our home care workforce to achieve the appropriate SVQ Level. This requirement means the increase cannot retrospectively apply to a period when that qualification was not held or being worked towards.
"However, the council will support the workforce in gaining this important qualification and will upgrade the staff from April 1, 2023, rather than waiting until they have completed the SVQ. We will continue to discuss the outcome of the appeal process with our trade union colleagues."
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