
Of course, Brexit and the Tories’ hostile environment don’t get a mention. Around 10 000 care workers in Scotland in 2018, were EU nationals, nearly 6% of the workforce.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/contribution-non-uk-eu-workers-social-care-workforce-scotland/
BBC Scotland’s report on their website and broadcast last night and perhaps today too, makes no mention of the B word.
It does mention that care workers have gone to better pay and conditions jobs, delivery driving and supermarkets – think about that. Amazon?
Why are the care services not paying better wages and offering better conditions? We know now that the larger corporate homes were at maximum occupancy and relying on agency staff travelling between sites because the owners cared more about profits than lives.
How do we know?
Profits?
https://www.gov.scot/publications/contribution-non-uk-eu-workers-social-care-workforce-scotland/
Care home operators are making up to £1.5bn a year in profits, which include fees to directors and an array of questionable financial arrangements, according to research undertaken by a thinktank.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/nov/07/care-home-operators-accused-of-extracting-disguised-profits
Staff conditions?
Some UK care workers are having to take holiday when they are off sick with Covid or see already low wages fall to £96 per week, raising fears they may not self-isolate.
Staff on the minimum wage claim to have been offered only statutory sick pay when ill with Covid or self-isolating. This contravenes government policy that they should be paid in full to limit infection spread.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/08/uk-care-workers-use-leave-avoid-losing-pay-sick-covid
This problem would be easy-solved but it’s not a solution these often Tory donors can bear – pay better wages and offer better conditions – supply and demand?
Anf,of course,no way to recover some of these profits for public use since many of the “care” companies are registered in tax havens (Tory paradise islands).
Since Thatcher,everything has become commodified and sold to the public as being the only alternative.
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Aye, spotted that promoted story on the webpages this morning, the most notable aspect being no quotes of “outrage” from the usual politicos, presumably these will follow later today.
I made the observation elsewhere that this latest BBC gambit is likely to crowd off news broadcast by BBC London that Wales has worst Covid results and Scotland best, can’t have the public hearing something positive, no, no, no, no no.
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Private Care Homes implement the same conditions as those for Battery Hens or other factory farmed animals – prioritise profit and f*ck the consequences !
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Speaking of unions: I noticed no mention of trade unions fighting for workers conditions, such as better pay and conditions. Perhaps the GMB is, indeed, trying to press for such things. But, some of their representatives in Glasgow, while arguing for a justifiable pay increase for cleansing and cleaning staff, seem to be more interested in talking about rats and the ‘filthiest city in the world’.
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