People working on visas in Scotland’s social care sector recently took their Fair Work vision straight to several decision-makers, alongside the Worker Support Centre (WSC).
To Tom Arthur, Minister for Business and Fair Work, the workers described a Scotland where the government’s Fair Work agenda includes everyone. In practice, to them this means having workplaces free from racism and discrimination, and giving everyone a real say over long and unsociable shifts.
The Minister agreed that just as Scots are welcomed around the world, people who come to make Scotland their home and care for our sick and elderly should be welcomed here.
Caring for those who care for us
With Alison Thewliss, Minister for Community Care, workers emphasised how much they care for the people they support. But they also spoke out about the physical and emotional demands of their jobs, highlighting night shifts as being especially hard.
Many reported having to handle challenging situations whilst under-staffed and being expected to cope with more pressures because of the colour of their skin. They also asked a practical question: why don’t Care Inspectorate officials visit at night to see the work for themselves?
The Minister responded by committing to making sure workers’ rights are real in practice and enforcement relates to issues raised by workers. She also recognised that it is not fair to expect people to care for our loved ones without also caring for those workers’ own needs.
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