UNISON Northern Ireland

UNISON CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT PRIVATE CARE HOMES IN RECEIPT OF £6.5m PUBLIC MONEY PLAY FAIR WITH WORKERS

Monday 27 April 2020

Health workers employed by private residential and nursing homes have been at the sharp end of the Covid 19 pandemic from the outset. They were left to the last on testing, guidance and PPE and many were not equipped to deal with the outbreak.

As the largest union representing health workers, UNISON has been engaged in 'a battle a day' to protect residents and staff.  We have called for:

  •  testing and contact tracing for all residents and staff
  •  testing of all admissions from hospital and the community
  •  revised guidance to ensure the protection of both
  •  proper provision of the right PPE
  •  stability in the workforce

Patricia McKeown, Regional Secretary said "Those employers that recognise trade unions and bargain with us have been willing to work with us to protect patients and staff.   Those who refuse to recognise trade unions and workers rights have not.

Through our continuous representations to the Minister and the Department of Health, there have been gradual moves on testing, Guidance and PPE.  We have also challenged where private sector employers have financially penalised care workers who have had to self isolate or become sick.  This is still a problem.   

We have called for stability across a workforce that heavily relies on temporary working, agency staff, zero hours contracts and minimum wage.  

We have been consistent in our call for the return inhouse of care homes that cannot guarantee the safety of patients and staff.

Throughout our intensive negotiations with the Department of Health to enable NHS staff to volunteer to support the homes, unions have made testing for residents and staff our priority.   The private sector employers appear to have made more money their priority.

As the Minister for Health now moves to provide £6.5m additional payments he must attach conditions that require fair pay and decent treatment for a workforce that is risking its own safety to protect our most vulnerable people.  He must insist that employers recognise the workers rights to be unionised and convene a bargaining forum to enable us to begin to secure justice for them."