Greater Manchester care workers win Living Wage award

Greater Manchester care workers have won the Living Wage Foundation’s prestigious Living Wage Campaign of the Year award after coming together to secure the Foundation Living Wage across six councils. The UNISON-led campaign, titled Greater Manchester Care Workers Demand a Pay Rise, was targeted at Greater Manchester councils to pressure them to provide the Foundation Living Wage (currently £9.90) to all directly employed and commissioned social care workers. The campaign was launched in Living Wage Week in November 2021 and was successful in six out of ten Manchester councils. Rochdale was the first council to commit last year, with Manchester, Salford, Oldham, Stockport and Bolton councils committing in 2022. This should see a pay rise for around 25,000 hard-working care workers, transferring approximately £19million directly into their pockets over the next year. Campaigners received the award – presented by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham – from the Living Wage Foundation at an awards ceremony in London on Tuesday. However, the campaign is still ongoing as many employers are refusing the claim and pass on the uplift that has been offered to them by councils. Mediline, a provider of supported living services commissioned by Manchester City Council, has told its staff that it has declined the offer of additional funding from the council to pay the Foundation Living Wage on the basis that it cannot do so on a “commercially sustainable footing”. Despite ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News care workers living wage Source Type: news