Unite has welcomed the announcement by the Scottish Government that health and social care workers will receive £500 one-off payment. This will be well received by those care workers who are in some of the lowest paid jobs in Scotland.
However Unite members are extremely disappointed that the Scottish Government has decided to ignore all other local government frontline workers who have worked through the pandemic. Although the below list is nowhere near exhaustive, imagine life without these workers!
Cleaners who are now the first line of infection control
School workers who supported frontline workers’ children in hubs without
the necessary PPE.
Electricians, plumber, joiners and all other craft workers who entered homes and buildings to fix problems which helped keep people at home.
Cemetery workers who dealt with the bereaved of COVID-19 deaths in their usual supportive way while not knowing if the infection was present.
Road workers who repaired damages to ensure there would be no issues for ambulances and other emergency services.
Refuse workers whose workload significantly increased therefore the risk of infection significantly increased.
We Deserve Fair Pay
Unite is calling on the Scottish Government to reflect on their decision and make the payment to all workers who have worked on the frontline during this pandemic. Anything less is not good enough.
Unite will keep members updated.