Edinburgh council leaders welcome pay rise for 'hero' care staff

Increase will guarantee Real Living Wage
Adam McVey and Cammy Day have praised the heroic work of care staffAdam McVey and Cammy Day have praised the heroic work of care staff
Adam McVey and Cammy Day have praised the heroic work of care staff

CITY leaders have welcomed the immediate 3.3 per cent pay rise for care workers, hailing them as “heroes” for their work in looking after the most vulnerable people during the coronavirus crisis.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced the hike for care home and social care workers on Sunday, promising the extra cash would be included in their next pay packet with the increase backdated to April 1.

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And she said measures agreed with local authority umbrella body Cosla would ensure everyone providing adult social care would receive the Real Living Wage of £9.30 per hour.

City council Leader, Adam McVey, said: “I’m grateful to the Scottish Government and Cosla for standing with our care workers.

“We are indebted to our frontline carers - they are all doing vital work to help the city’s most vulnerable in this time of national crisis and in return we must do all we can to support them.

“The new measurements announced mean that everyone working in social care in the Capital will receive at least the Real Living Wage for every hour worked with immediate effect, rather than having to wait until later in the year. It also gives reassurance that financial support is available if they are unwell or self-isolating.”

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And depute leader Cammy Day added: “Now more than ever we need to look after the most vulnerable members of our communities and our social care teams and providers are heroes, working tirelessly to make sure that people receive the best possible care in these difficult times.

“We value them for the necessary and complex work they do. The immediacy of the pay increase is great news and goes some way to recognising the role they are playing in this crisis.”

There are 85 care homes in the Capital and a total of 353 residents in council partnership homes alone.

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