Equal pay victory

A group of 1,000 care workers will receive £20 million in back pay in a landmark victory for equal pay, the GMB general union reported.

It said South Lanarkshire council has now accepted that domestic carers they employed were underpaid by £3 per hour, compared to care staff in residential care homes. 

The local authority previously argued that “home help” staff had fewer responsibilities, but the union says carers in private homes have increasingly taken on more complex tasks.

The pay claim will be backdated from October 2020, meaning a carer working 35 hours a week will receive £17,000 and those working more hours up to £25,000.