Care Workers Struggle Without Sick pay

With over 80% of care workers now working for Private companies, driven by profit and fat wages for those at the top, Workers are having to pay. We know that pay is scandalously low for workers who are highly trained and relentlessly dedicated to care, but what happens when they are sick?

General Secretary has been meeting with care workers over recent weeks and gave a determined answer to the question of what can be done about it?

“Care workers are already some of the most under appreciated workers in this country, and that’s despite all the warm words of thanks from the public during the pandemic".

“I’m delighted that the union is focussed on helping care workers organise in their workplaces because that is how we will get justice”.

“Profiteering owners and bosses are raking it in by paying badly and denying even the minimum of occupational sick pay. It is scandalous that care workers are financially punished for daring to be sick.”

“When workers cannot afford to be sick then there is something very wrong and we need to make these employers see the harm they are doing to staff they claim to value”.

“Often the cause of sickness is stress at work and these employers know that they do not have to lay a finger to help these workers because chronic stress related illness costs them nothing.”

“We'll fight back workplace by workplace and employer by employer.”

We asked the general secretary what the union would be prepared to do about a lack of occupational sick pay in the sector. Nothing, he said, would be ruled out.

“We can point out the flase economy of maintaining working conditions that lead to chronic stress and sickness and then not supporting workers when they become unwell. But when their motives are taking care of share holders and not the very people who care for the service users then it falls on deaf ears. It’s up to members to unite and fight backed up by the union. If employers won’t listen until workers down tools then that’s what we will have to do”.