Mayors Andy Burnham and Kim McGuinness have added their names to an open letter urging the Government to guarantee that all adult social care workers are paid the real Living Wage.
The letter, written by Citizens UK and the Living Wage Foundation, highlights the contribution of over 400,000 care workers and the impact fair pay could have on recruitment, retention, and pressure on the NHS.
While the Employment Rights Bill introduces Fair Pay Agreements to give negotiated pay and conditions a legal framework, this process may not take effect until 2028.
The mayors argue that care workers cannot wait that long and point to IPPR analysis showing it would cost the Government £330m — less than 2% of last year’s social care budget — to implement the real Living Wage immediately.
The letter calls for pay to cover all hours worked, including sleep-ins and in-work travel.
