At the Worker Support Centre, we believe change starts with those most affected by injustice. Worker Power is at the heart of everything we do – it’s about friendship, connection, solidarity and making change happen together.
This autumn, that power was on full display. Seasonal farm workers and care workers who have been part of our Worker Power sessions came together with Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to share their experiences and ideas for change directly with MSPs.
Two Scottish Parliamentary Committees – the Equalities, Civil Rights and Justice Committee and the Social Justice and Social Security Committee met nine workers who led the conversation.
Pride and pain
In their own words, workers described both the pride and the pain of their work.
Farm workers spoke of the skill and thoughts they invest in ensuring food reaches our tables across the UK. Care workers talked about the compassion they bring to supporting Scotland’s elderly and vulnerable people.
But both groups also shared how poor conditions undermine that care. Farm workers described life in unsafe caravans, unpaid hours, verbal abuse and dangerous workplaces without access to healthcare. Care workers spoke of being left jobless when employers lose their licences, of 90-mile commutes without fuel reimbursement, and of the physical and emotional toll of long, unpredictable shifts.
Despite these challenges, what shone through was not despair but determination. Workers offered practical solutions for how Scotland can become a place that truly welcomes and cares for every worker — with fair pay, safe housing, accessible healthcare, and enforcement systems that protect everyone equally.
From listening to action
MSPs thanked workers for their honesty and courage, and promised to raise the issues discussed — including housing, pay, health and safety, wages, visa rules and access to healthcare — with their committees to agree on actions to advance change. Both Committees have already written to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing to raise the need to ensure seasonal worker housing is fit for habitation. For workers, being heard directly by decision-makers was a powerful moment of recognition.
We are grateful to the MSPs who took the time to listen. Now, we invite them — and all those in positions of influence — to follow through on their commitment. Sharing these workers’ concerns with colleagues, championing their recommendations in Parliament, and helping to build a fairer system will move Scotland and the UK closer to becoming the welcoming country we aspire to be.
The event was live illustrated - see image above and here for care workers and agricultural workers. WSC will work with workers to make sure that the issues raised in the discussion and in these illustrations are translated to action.
Together, we can ensure that the people who grow our food and care for our loved ones are themselves treated with care, dignity and respect.