Conservative Group Leader Cllr Steve Bell has welcomed comments from Health and Wellbeing Board Chair Cllr Clare Moonan indicating that she thinks care workers in Brighton and Hove are underpaid but said that she must now back these words up with action and address a discriminatory council pay policy that adversely impacts care workers in the city.

At this week’s Special Policy and Resources Committee meeting Cllr Moonan lamented that the care sector was in a fragile state:

“we have some of the lowest paid staff doing some of the most difficult jobs with the most vulnerable people in society.  It’s no wonder it’s fragile.” – Cllr Clare Moonan, Special Policy & Resources Committee, 27/05/20.

However Trade Union Unison has recently accused the Labour administration of propagating a discriminatory employment policy that favours some Key Workers over others, to the detriment of care workers.

The Trade Union has said that the Labour Administration’s Resident Service Guarantee, which comprises a bonus for working on bank holidays, is paid to City Clean workers but not to care workers employed by the council and has called for this payment to be extended to all council-employed workers in the city.

The Council has yet to address this.

Conservative Group Leader Steve Bell, who has called for care workers to be paid in the same way as other key workers in the City, said that it was time for the administration to stop posturing and take action to support its care workers.

“Instead of empty statements the Health and Wellbeing Board Chair should listen to Unison and take action to redress an issue of discrimination that has been highlighted by the union on behalf of care workers” he said.

“Labour cannot cry poor as it was able to quickly find the money to replace over a million pounds it lost through its financial bungle with Home to School Transport.

“Care workers in Brighton & Hove will be getting sick of the empty political posturing by members of this administration that grandstand at committee meetings then take no action to address the issues that they raise” he said.

Councillor Bell also called for a special COVID-19 bonus be paid to recognise the work of key workers during the crisis.

ENDS.