, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party,
commenting on research from Citizens UK and the Living Wage
Foundation which found three-in-four care worker roles in England
are paid below the real Living Wage, said:
“Ministers fell over themselves to pose for the cameras and
clap our carers earlier this year, but applause doesn’t pay the
bills and warm words don’t put food on the table.
“It is a moral outrage that three quarters of social care
workers do not even earn the real Living Wage. This situation was
wrong before this pandemic, but now it is absolutely
unconscionable.
“After all that they have done for all of us, a pay rise is
the very least that our care worker heroes deserve”.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
·Research from Citizens UK also found that 8
in 10 people back government investment in social care to fund a
pay increase for care workers.
·In September, Labour called on the Prime
Minister to publish his promised plan to fix the crisis in social
care and a plan for all social care workers to be paid at least
the real Living Wage. https://labour.org.uk/press/government-must-publish-its-plan-to-fix-social-care-crisis-and-that-plan-must-guarantee-all-care-workers-will-be-paid-at-least-the-real-living-wage-angela-rayner/
·On the steps of Downing Street on his first
day as Prime Minister on 24th July 2019 said: “I am announcing now - on the steps of Downing
Street - that we will fix the crisis in social care once and for
all with a clear plan we have prepared to give every older person
the dignity and security they deserve”. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-leader-text/new-uk-pm-johnsons-arrival-speech-in-downing-street-idUSKCN1UJ28E