Care workers win £20 million back pay in Equal Pay victory

A group of 1,000 care workers has won a massive £20 million in back pay in a landmark victory for equal pay.

South Lanarkshire local authority, who employed the domestic carers, have now accepted they were underpaid by £3 per hour, compared to care staff in residential care homes.

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

Previously the council had argued that the ‘home help’ staff had distinct jobs with fewer responsibilities – but in recent years carers in private homes have increasingly taken on more complex tasks including medication and assisting with medical procedures.

Cara Stevenson, GMB Scotland Organiser and former care worker, said:

“Home carers in South Lanarkshire, mostly women, often work alone but came together and stayed together to win a significant victory for them and for care staff across the UK.

The acknowledgement they have the same role and responsibilities as colleagues working in residential care and deserve the same pay will reverberate in councils up and down the country.

Their refusal to accept anything less than they deserved is a source of admiration and pride.”