Mason Moore | Hinckley Reporter | 10 February 2021
MICHAEL MULLANEY, a Hinckley County and Borough Councillor, who represents the town’s De Montfort ward, virtually attended an online conference a week ago in support of fair pay for care workers, and is now urging residents to help out by backing the campaign.
Councillor Mullaney virtually attended the online ‘Pay Fair for Care Day’ event online seven days ago (3 February), which was attended by two former Health Secretaries, Stephen Dorrell, and Jeremy Hunt.
The conference was digitally attended by many others from the Social and Health Care sector, including representatives from Age UK, The National Care Association, Mencap, and other care unions and organisations.
The ‘Pay Fair for Care Day’ Campaign ensures that all care workers are paid the ‘real living wage’ of £9.50 per hour.
Cllr. Michael Mullaney, said: “I have spoken to many hard-working care workers here in Hinckley who do tremendous work, which has been made even more difficult and risky during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Despite doing this essential work, care workers are often paid really poorly. Three-quarters of carers earn less than the real Living Wage, a quarter are on zero-hours contracts, whilst thousands often don’t receive pay for all the hours they work.”
He further added: “In the past I’ve been a care worker, so I personally understand what a tough, yet poorly paid job it is.
“I recently took the case of paying care workers the real Living Wage to Leicestershire County Council, where I put a motion to the County Council calling for carers to get this support.
“The Pay Fair for Care Day was an excellent conference that united people from across the Health and Social Care world in support of paying our essential care workers a fair wage.
“Hopefully we will get to the point where we as a society pay care workers a wage that reflects the crucial work they do.”
He is urging residents to back the campaign by signing the petition for Fair Pay for Carers, linked here. More information for further reading is listed on the campaign’s official website, linked here.