Saddleworth West and Lees Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani backs a Liberal Democrat idea to support frontline Covid-19 workers in Oldham Borough. At the next full meeting of Oldham Council (15 July), he will propose an amendment to a Labour motion on care workers.
The Liberal Democrats in Oldham believe the administration motion does not go far enough. They want to reward frontline Covid-19 workers for their bravery and professionally. Not just financially, but also with the award of a pandemic service medal from the Government.
Councillor Al-Hamdani says: “These workers should receive an additional payment for every working day they have spent on the front-line of this crisis. The Liberal Democrats would pay these workers an extra £29 per day. It would be backdated to the start of the pandemic. This would be very similar to what military personnel receive during active service in war.”
Councillor Al-Hamdani goes further: “These local heroes should be able to access a free 24-hour telephone support service provided by the Government. Should the worst happen, they should also be entitled to a state-funded funeral should tragically they die from a condition related to Covid-19.”
Councillor Al-Hamdani’s ambition is backed by his Crompton colleague, Councillor Louie Hamblett. Commenting, Councillor Hamblett says: “This nation owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to NHS, care and key workers for their extraordinary service in saving lives and delivering services in these extraordinary times. Whilst we support the original motion, the Oldham Liberal Democrats believe that it needs to address the fact that workers in the NHS and Care sectors should, and must, be properly rewarded for their efforts.
“I would also add that I find it abhorrent that many people who have chosen to make a life here in our country and work in our brilliant NHS and Care sectors are still being financially punished and bogged down by a brutal bureaucratic system which they struggle to comprehend. They just want to get on with their lives and jobs and make their personal contribution to eradicating this dreadful disease and building Britain better.”
The meeting will be held on the 15th July and starts at 6pm.
ENDS/…
The original motion reads:
This Council commends the incredible work of care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic caring for the most vulnerable people in Oldham.
This Council notes the results of a survey conducted by UNISON North West which found that 8 out of 10 care workers would not receive their full normal pay if they were ill or had to self-isolate or shield because of COVID-19. As a result of the lack of occupational sick pay, some care workers said that they may have to attend work whilst ill as they could not afford to live off statutory sick pay (SSP).
This Council believes that this situation poses a serious public health risk to people that receive care and frontline care workers. Indeed, official figures from the Office for National Statistics show that care workers are twice as likely to die from coronavirus than NHS staff.
This Council acknowledges its responsibility under the Government’s Infection Control Fund to administer the distribution of additional funding to social care providers to reduce the spread of infection, including maintaining normal wages for COVID-19 related absence.
This Council believes that no care worker should have to choose between their own health or hardship. This Council welcomes UNISON North West’s Care Workers vs COVID-19 Campaign which is calling for care workers to receive the support and resources they need to combat the virus.
This Council notes that 12 local authorities in the North West have already supported the Care Workers vs COVID-19 Campaign or made similar commitments around maintaining normal pay for all COVID-19 related absence.
This Council undertakes to:
1) Formally endorse the principles of UNISON’s Care Workers vs COVID-19 Campaign and commit to campaigning for the funding this Council requires to deliver on them;
2) Communicate to providers that it is this Council’s view that additional funding is used by social care providers to pay care workers their full normal pay for all COVID-19 related absence, including sickness, self-isolation or shielding;
3) Review procurement and commissioning policies with view to increasing the weighting of social value commissioning and to ensure it includes specific requirements around occupational sick pay.
The Amendment:
Insert after paragraph 6 which ends with ‘related absence’, two new paragraphs, the second with bullet points as follows:
This Council also believes that the UK Government should provide greater financial rewards, ongoing support and proper recognition for care, NHS and key workers reflecting the personal danger and stress they have been placed in whilst caring for, treating or supporting residents and patients with Covid-19.
Specifically, this Council believes that such workers should:
– receive an additional payment for every working day they have spent on the front-line of this crisis, amounting to £29 per day, backdated to the start of the pandemic. This would be akin to the deployment allowance military personnel receive during service in war-zones.
– be able to access a free 24-hour telephone support service funded by the Government.
– receive a state-funded funeral should they die from a condition related to Covid-19.
– receive, once the crisis is ended, a pandemic service medal from the Government.
And that in addition all migrants working in the NHS & social care during this crisis should be given the right to stay in the UK, with no visa fees and no bureaucracy.
Insert after bullet point 3) in the resolution two new bullet points 4) and 5) as follows:
4) Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Health and the Home Secretary asking them to:
– institute a daily front-line service payment, backdated to the start of the pandemic
– establish a 24-hour helpline
– provide state-funded funerals
– issue a pandemic service medal
– make changes to immigration rules to grant immigrants working in health and social care the right to stay and a waiver on visa fees and bureaucracy.
5) Ask the Chief Executive to copy in our three local MPs and the Mayor of Greater Manchester to ask for their support on these issues.
The motion as amended to read:
This Council commends the incredible work of care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic caring for the most vulnerable people in Oldham.
This Council notes the results of a survey conducted by UNISON North West which found that 8 out of 10 care workers would not receive their full normal pay if they were ill or had to self-isolate or shield because of COVID-19. As a result of the lack of occupational sick pay, some care workers said that they may have to attend work whilst ill as they could not afford to live off statutory sick pay (SSP).
This Council believes that this situation poses a serious public health risk to people that receive care and frontline care workers. Indeed, official figures from the Office for National Statistics show that care workers are twice as likely to die from coronavirus than NHS staff.
This Council acknowledges its responsibility under the Government’s Infection Control Fund to administer the distribution of additional funding to social care providers to reduce the spread of infection, including maintaining normal wages for COVID-19 related absence.
This Council believes that no care worker should have to choose between their own health or hardship. This Council welcomes UNISON North West’s Care Workers vs COVID-19 Campaign which is calling for care workers to receive the support and resources they need to combat the virus.
This Council notes that 12 local authorities in the North West have already supported the Care Workers vs COVID-19 Campaign or made similar commitments around maintaining normal pay for all COVID-19 related absence.
This Council also believes that the UK Government should provide greater financial rewards, ongoing support and proper recognition for care, NHS and key workers reflecting the personal danger and stress they have been placed in whilst caring for, treating or supporting residents and patients with Covid-19.
Specifically, this Council believes that such workers should:
– receive an additional payment for every working day that have spent on the front-line of this crisis, amounting to £29 per day, backdated to the start of the pandemic. This would be akin to the deployment allowance military personnel receive during service in war-zones.
– should be able to access a free 24-hour telephone support service provided by the Government.
– receive a state-funded funeral should they die from a condition related to Covid-19.
– receive, once the crisis is ended, a pandemic service medal from the Government.
And that in addition all migrants working in the NHS & social care during this crisis should be given the right to stay in the UK, with no visa fees and no bureaucracy.
This Council undertakes to:
1) Formally endorse the principles of UNISON’s Care Workers vs COVID-19 Campaign and commit to campaigning for the funding this Council requires to deliver on them;
2) Communicate to providers that it is this Council’s view that additional funding is used by social care providers to pay care workers their full normal pay for all COVID-19 related absence, including sickness, self-isolation or shielding;
3) Review procurement and commissioning policies with view to increasing the weighting of social value commissioning and to ensure it includes specific requirements around occupational sick pay.
4) Ask the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Health and the Home Secretary asking them to:
– institute a daily front-line service payment, backdated to the start of the pandemic
– establish a 24-hour helpline
– provide state-funded funerals
– issue a pandemic service medal
– make changes to immigration rules to grant immigrants working in health and social care the right to stay and a waiver on visa fees and bureaucracy.
5) Ask the Chief Executive to copy in our three local MPs and the Mayor of Greater Manchester to ask for their support on these issues.
The Amendment is proposed by Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani, The Amendment is seconded by Councillor Louie Hamblett