GMB criticises 'reckless' Government decision to stop minimum wage enforcement for 100,000s of care workers
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This kind of deregulation will cause suffering for both service users and staff.
GMB has criticised a Government decision to suspend minimum wage enforcement for hundreds of thousands of care workers.
The Department for Business, Energy and industrial Strategy today announced it has temporarily suspended NMW enforcement activity and is waiving historic financial penalties against employers concerning sleep-in shift pay in the social care sector.
Rehana Azam, GMB National Secretary for Public Services, said:
“Not only is this ridiculous, it's reckless. This kind of deregulation will cause suffering for both service users and staff.
“GMB and others have long campaigned for fair funding and highlighted how this Government had longed papered over the cracks.
“This announcement shows the sector is not in a crisis - it has already broken down and desperately needs additional funding.
“However the underpayment of the minimum wage in the care sector is not the answer – it is a national scandal.
“Employers may feel emboldened to break the law again in the future.
“GMB urges the Government to rethink their ill-judged decision, because it's service users and staff who will carry burden and feel the impact of the loosening of regulations in the care sector.
