Government must ditch ‘catastrophic’ plans for migrant care workers  

The government must scrap ‘catastrophic’ new visa rules aimed at migrant care workers, say UNISON and the National Care Forum (NCF). In a letter to health and social care secretary Victoria Atkins, the two organisations warn of the ‘devastating impact’ of the ban on overseas care staff bringing dependents to the UK, as announced by the government earlier this month. UNISON has written the letter jointly with the NCF – which represents thousands of not-for-profit care and support services – to highlight how the policy will undermine essential care services for millions of families. The letter says: “These announcements appear to have been made without proper planning, consultation or information, resulting in ministers giving contradictory and confusing explanations.” Home secretary James Cleverley is criticised in the letter over his comments that overseas staff are displacing UK workers from care jobs. The letter states: “This attempt to justify the visa policy is patently untrue.” Data outlined in the letter show there are currently 152,000 unfilled social care posts in England alone, the highest vacancy rate of any sector in the economy. Low wages are a major factor. But UNISON and the NCF say in the letter that remarks by Home Office minister Chris Philp that next year’s rise in the minimum wage would ease the job crisis in the care sector are ‘nonsense’. The lack of a clear plan for workers with dependents already in the UK is concern...
Source: UNISON meat hygiene - Category: Food Science Authors: Tags: News Press release care visas health secretary migrant care workers national care forum victoria atkins Source Type: news