Wales TUC welcomes Welsh Government plans to assist social care workers

In response to the announcement by Wales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething, Wales TUC General Secretary, Shavanah Taj said:

"The Wales TUC and affiliated trade unions very much welcome Welsh Government’s announcement that it is working with local authorities to top up social care workers’ sick pay if they need to self-isolate.

With the winter flu season fast approaching, schools reopening and other sectors beginning to commence operation, Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) of £95.85 per week is not a viable amount of money for any worker to survive on. Many social care workers are employed by an agency or in other forms of precarious work, and some do not even have access to sick pay.

Our position remains unchanged, any worker cannot be left to make the unrealistic choice between paying rent, buying food, paying bills and adhering to public health advice to self-isolate. The UK Government should now step up and support the Welsh Government in protecting all workers in Wales by raising SSP to the real Living Wage."