"Care workers do such an important job and they deserve much more than poverty pay."

Responding to the announcement that Stockport Council will provide funding to home care and residential care providers in the Borough to pay staff the real living wage of £9  per hour from April 2019, care worker Joanna MacCormick said:

“This will make a big difference to me and my family.  It’s a struggle getting by on the minimum wage and this pay rise in April will just make life a bit easier.” 

Her colleague Dayna Wilson at Harbour Healthcare added:

“I love caring for the residents, but it is hard work and we should be paid decently for it.  I’ve seen too many good care workers have to leave to go to work in supermarkets because they can’t afford to stay in this job.  I hope this pay rise means that we’re going to get more recognition for the work we do.”   

UNISON North West regional organiser Tim Ellis said:

“This is very welcome and significant news.  Care workers do such an important job and they deserve much more than poverty pay.  This pay rise will be worth £2,000 a year to the lowest paid.     

“The Labour Group on Stockport Council is doing the right thing by insisting that workers providing care services on their behalf are paid at least the real living wage.  We will be working to ensure that care providers pass the extra funding on to care workers as intended.

“It is very welcome that there is a growing movement across Greater Manchester for councils to require that social care staff are paid the real living wage.  This is a fundamental part of the UNISON Dignity in Social Care campaign. We will continue to campaign for dignity for service users and for staff.”   

The announcement of the funding increase by the Stockport Labour Group is available here: http://stockportlabour.org.uk/labour-announces-real-living-wage-uplift-for-care-workers/