NMW Bill

Labour MP Paula Barker has used the ten-minute rule to introduce a National Minimum Wage Bill in Parliament.

The rule allows MPs to make their case for a new Bill in a speech lasting up to ten minutes. If passed, her Bill would ensure home care workers are paid for travel time between visits.

A 2019 survey found that over half of home care workers are paid less than the National Minimum Wage because they are not reimbursed for travel time. And the UNISON public services union says more than 50% of England’s local authorities do not specify in their contracts that firms must pay employees for this time.

The former UNISON North West convenor paid tribute to the region’s Care Workers for Change campaign for delivering pay rises for thousands of care workers. The Bill will have its second reading in November 2023.