First Minister reveals backing for Labour amendment to support care workers affected by coronavirus
Staff forced to self-isolate will be protected from losing out financially
Nicola Sturgeon says the Scottish Government will support Labour's proposals for financial help for care workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
At First Minister's Questions, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard described care workers who test positive for Covid-19 being penalised financially while self-isolating as a “scandal”.
Ms Sturgeon confirmed Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has reached an agreement with Labour MSP Monica Lennon about supporting affected staff workers, saying: “we are on the side of social care workers”.
Stressing the majority of care workers are not employed by NHS Scotland, the First Minister added: “Without pointing the finger at anybody or trying to pass the buck, I do think it's really important we work with employers to make sure employers are doing the right thing and fulfilling their duties towards the staff who work for them.”
An amendment tabled by Ms Lennon for the final stage of the new emergency coronavirus legislation - due to be debated on Wednesday afternoon - called for the Scottish Government to create a fund to provide financial assistance to workers in the social care sector whose employment has been affected by the pandemic.
Social care workers who have become infected and have to self-isolate currently receive £95.85 per week in statutory sick pay.
Asked by Mr Leonard whether death-in-service payments - like those made to the families of NHS staff - will also be introduced for social care staff, Ms Sturgeon said it is her “absolute intention to make sure the same benefits apply”.
She added: “The Health Secretary has contacted Scottish Care, Scottish Care has confirmed that they're putting a proposal together with Cosla and I think the Health Secretary is discussing that proposal - we haven't seen it yet - with them on Friday of this week.
“If there is a role that the Scottish Government can play to facilitate that, we will play it.
“Employers have a duty to make sure that their staff are properly catered for at all times but particularly in this time of crisis and, as we have done in every aspect of dealing with this, the Scottish Government will play our full part in that.”
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