Foster carers’ rights
The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), is pursuing a case on behalf of foster care workers in Scotland in an attempt to establish employment rights for them.
The intention, said the union, is to “put further pressure on the UK Parliament to address the legal uncertainty” under which foster carers work.
A preliminary hearing of the case is due to take place over the next few months at Glasgow Employment Tribunal. Here it will be argued that two foster carers are council employees and so entitled to the minimum wage, sick pay and holiday pay.
A finding in their favour would contradict existing case law in England and Wales where foster care workers are not recognised as workers or employees.
The IWGB has also launched a Foster Care Workers branch with the “objective of achieving employment rights for foster care workers across the UK”.