Care sector employers must work with Job Centres, Local Councils and others make job vacancies attractive to laid off workers to fill
There is now a real opportunity to finally address staff shortages due to poor pay and conditions to attract workers to what are very satisfying and essential jobs says GMB London
GMB LONDON CALL ON CARE HOME PROVIDERS TO WORK WITH JOB CENTRES, LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND UNIONS TO FILL VACANCIES OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING AND JOBS TO WORKERS WITHOUT JOBS IN THIS HEALTH EMERGENCY
There is now a real opportunity to finally address staff shortages due to poor pay and conditions to attract workers to what are very satisfying and essential jobs says GMB London.
GMB London, the union for workers in the care sector, is calling on care home providers in London and East of England to work with Job Centres, local authorities and unions to fill current and future vacancies by offering job training and job opportunities to workers currently laid off due to the current public health emergency. The figure yesterday for new claims of this week for those jobless is a staggering 900,000 in two weeks.
GMB has previously pointed to the increased risks of serious staff shortages in the care sector as access to staff from across the EU27 is curtailed from the end of 2020 unless the underlying reasons for shortages are addressed. See notes to editors below for GMB press release dated 9th March 2020 on this.
Michael Ainsley, GMB London regional officer for the care sector, said
“The Migration Advisory Committee told the care sector employers that the problem with filling vacancies in the sector is not due directly to a shortage of workers but rather to very poor and unattractive pay and conditions for the jobs on offer.
Care work provides for serious job satisfaction for workers in wholly essential jobs caring for our elderly and vulnerable people in society. What it has not provided for lower grades are jobs paying reasonable rates of pay and decent conditions.
The risks of serious staff shortages in the care sector are real.
There is now a real opportunity to finally address the problem of poor pay and conditions and to offer these satisfying jobs to the huge numbers out of work due to the health emergency. There were 900,000 new claims for unemployment benefit yesterday over the last two weeks.
GMB London is calling on the care sector employers to work with Job Centres, local authorities and unions to design and make available opportunities for training and jobs on decent terms to those out of work who would wish the avail of these opportunities.
GMB London consider that the response will prove that the Migration Advisory Committee is correct as workers take up these offers of good jobs”
GMB call on the public to join with us today, Thursday 2nd April, at 20:00 clapping for our carers and front line workers #ClapForOurCarers .
The health and safety of our carers is paramount, they must as a matter of priority must be provided with the correct PPE. The care sector can no longer continue to be the NHS Cinderella service.
Contact:
Mick Ainsley Organiser, GMB London Region 07974 250 947 or GMB London Press Office 079 700 19643
Notes to editors
Copy of GMB press release on staff shortages in care sector dated 9th March.
https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/care-system-risks-460000-vacancy-black-hole-thanks-immigration-policy
