Raising Pay and Conditions for Care and Support Workers

The Unite Housing Workers Branch has organised a national meeting to discuss a multi-sector campaign, bringing together all Unite members working in care and support, and pressing for safe workplaces, fair pay, better treatment, and a social care system with public provision at its core.

The meeting will take place on Thursday 26th November, 6pm, via Zoom. Email Suzanne Muna to receive an invitation. The Director of  Unite's Organising and Leverage Department, Sharon Graham, will be speaking, as will Billie Cooper, a care worker. There will also be space for discussion and campaign planning.

The meeting is open to all care and support workers and carers in housing association, local government, health, and voluntary sectors, and Unite Community members.

Raising Care and Support

The Covid pandemic has highlighted the value of care and support as never before. People in power have learnt what we already know - that care and support work is essential and worthy. The praise given to workers in the field has yet to be translated into improved pay, terms or conditions for care and support staff. Now is our time to make sure this changes.

We are familiar with the problems of underfunding, commercialisation and ineffective government policies. Now we need to discuss solutions.

Special Guest Speakers

Sharon Graham is the Director of the Organising and Leverage Department. Sharon and her team have led many high-octane campaigns in difficult to organise sectors using broad strategies which emphasise building local trade union power. See Sharon speak on Organising for Power here. 

Billie Cooper is a Mental Health Recovery Worker and Unite representative at Hestia Housing. She is familiar to the many ways in which care and support workers are hyper-exploited by employers, but is also driven to challenge and overcome the barriers. Billie is speaking in a personal capacity.