Care workers to strike for first time in decade in dispute over pay
Unison said a walkout over five days in different regions will begin in East Renfrewshire on May 29.
Care staff working at Enable Scotland are to go on strike in a dispute over pay in the first national care walkout in more than a decade, Unison has announced.
The strike will roll out across five days in different regions, beginning on May 29 in East Renfrewshire and continuing in Aberdeenshire, Moray, Ayrshire, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
It will culminate with a march and rally at the Scottish Parliament on June 12.
Unison said it is a response to “years of broken promises and delays by the Scottish Government to reform and fund social care properly”, and that “carers have been left with no other option after being consistently let down by ministers”.
It has agreed “life and limb” cover with the employer during the strike.
Anna Baird, a Unison member and a personal assistant with Enable Scotland for eight years, said: “I love my job and the people I support, that’s why this decision was so hard. But we’re at breaking point.
“We’ve been made promises for years, but nothing changes.
“Our pay doesn’t reflect the responsibility we carry and many of us are struggling to make ends meet. We’re just asking to be valued for the vital work we do.”
Unison Scotland regional organiser Jennifer McCarey said: “Strike action is always a last resort.
“But unions representing care workers have been working with the Scottish Government for several years on a plan for social care.
“But not a single promise made by ministers has been kept. In fact, care workers’ pay has gotten worse.
“The care sector is in crisis, and that responsibility lies squarely with the Scottish Government. Until care workers are properly valued and paid fairly, the sector will never have the care workers it needs.
“Ministers must fund charitable care properly and act to resolve this issue.”
Social care minister Maree Todd said: “We value the vital role social care workers play in delivering high-quality care.
“Pay negotiations are a matter for trade unions and employers and I urge both parties to continue to work together to reach an agreement which is fair for the workforce and affordable for Enable.
“Our 2025-26 Scottish Budget provides an additional £125 million to enable adult social care workers, delivering direct care in commissioned services, to be paid at least the real living wage of £12.60 an hour. This takes our total investment in improving social care pay to £950 million.”
Enable Scotland have been contacted for comment.
