UNISON CALLS ON NIHE AND DEPARTMENT FOR COMMUNITIES TO PROVIDE ASSURANCES ON PAY FOR SUPPORTING PEOPLE FRONTLINE WORKERS

UNISON the largest trade union representing workers in the community and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland, is calling on the NIHE and the Department for Communities to ensure that frontline workers’ pay rates in Supporting People Services are implemented by all providers of the service.  UNISON understand that as part of a review being carried out by the NIHE and DfC on Supporting People funding to providers, that workforce costs will be based on Agenda for Change NHS rates of pay.

 UNISON Regional Organiser Joe McCusker said:
‘‘For years UNISON has been campaigning and calling for proper rates of pay for frontline workers who provide Supporting People services. These workers provide an invaluable service to some of the most vulnerable in our society and deserve to be paid the same as their counterparts in the health service carrying out a similar role. Employers must be required to pay NHS pay rates to workers from the funding received from the NIHE.”

Niall McCarroll UNISON Community and Voluntary Joint Branch Chair adds:
“It is simply not acceptable for our members, essential frontline workers, to be expected to work within the Supporting People programme and have no protections built into their contracts of employment.  We must have built-in assurances which protect workers from substandard terms and conditions of employment. We must ensure that workers are valued for their work and are given the recognition the benefits of their work bring to wider society. The NIHE and the DfC need to ensure that this is the reality.”