Care workers take centre stage at local government conference

The final afternoon of the UNISON’s 2023 local government conference saw several motions on social care passed. The session, chaired by UNISON president Andrea Egan, kicked off with a motion on a national care service. Tony Barnsley, introducing the motion on behalf of the NJC local government committee, said: “The pandemic shone a light on social care for a lot of people in this country. “On the one hand, we saw minimum-waged heroes putting themselves on the frontline, to care, despite lack of PPE. On the other hand were owners of these privatised care homes, demanding more money from the state. “It is vital UNISON sends a message loud and clear to this government: you can’t fix free market failure in the care sector with more free market policies. Fixing market failure requires the state to step back in, take control, and run care for the needs of the many, not profits for the few. “Insourcing, insourcing, insourcing is the solution to market failure. “We need a national care service established in this country, with the same political vigour and principles that the NHS was created with.” Mr Barnsley encouraged delegates to read UNISON’s bargaining for insourcing guide.  Council-provided care However, a second motion, introduced by Brenda Aitchison on behalf of Scotland, outlined the perils of a national care service that is not run by councils. In a motion titled ‘council-provided care’, Ms Aitchison explained how, in Scotland, UNISON has op...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News 2023 local government conference care workers LGBT national care service social care Source Type: news