ANGRY care workers thronged outside Glasgow councillors’ offices yesterday amid a two-day strike over longer hours, new duties and a whopping 7 per cent pay cut.

Unison — representing the care workers — urged the city’s Labour-led council not to “undermine” their workforce by pushing ahead with the shake-up, which the council says will replace temporary positions with permanent contracts and offer more time off.

The union has bitterly opposed the move, saying that the new shift rotas will see 182 workers — more than a quarter of the workforce — suffer lost wages.

Around 122 full-time workers are expected to lose as much as £1,495 per year, while 60 part-timers are said to lose £794 per year.

The union’s Glasgow branch secretary Brian Smith said his members’ elderly charges had made them reluctant to walk off the job.

But there had been “no alternative.”

Mr Smith said: “These changes will affect the vulnerable people our members care for. The lowest-paid staff are being asked to take on new tasks like dispensing medicines — and at the same time they are being forced to work longer shifts and to accept massive pay cuts.”

Caring for people with complex needs was a demanding job, he said.

“We are concerned increasing shifts to twelve-and-a-half hours and reducing staff/resident ratios at night will undermine the standard of care that we can provide,” he said.

Striking care worker Sharon Maloney told the Morning Star that any pay cut would be difficult to swallow.

“We’re struggling as it is,” she said.

But Ms Maloney added that she was most worried about the longer hours.
“I work night shifts, so working 12 hour shifts during the night isn’t great for your health.

“I have two boys too — 13 and 16 — so it’s going to affect getting home for them in the morning to see them off to school. And I’d have to leave them earlier in the evening as well,” she said.

A council spokesman conceded that some staff would take home less pay, but insisted basic pay rates would not be cut.

“At a time when there is still great uncertainty in the economy with increased use of zero-hours contracts we believe it is a major plus that we can offer workers secure employment,” he said.

rorym@peoples-press.com
@RoryMacKinnon