Agenda item

Motion G

Give care workers decent sick pay

Proposer:       Cllr Pippa Connor

Seconder:      Cllr Nick da Costa

Council notes:

1. That the Council is currently negotiating with third-party contractors for the provision of care services.
2. That as per statements made by the Cabinet Member and officers at Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 22^nd June 2020, these contracts will only make provision for the workers providing care on the Council’s behalf to receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
3. That SSP is just £95.85 a week, is generally not paid until the fourth day of leave, expires completely after 28 weeks and is not available to part-time workers who on average earn less than £120 per week.^[1]
4. That the Government has loosened eligibility criteria for SSP in the context of Covid-19. However, these changes do not apply if a worker’s sickness has another cause nor do they affect the level of SSP.^[2]
5. That the Office for National Statistics estimates that as of April 20^th 2020, 131 care workers had been killed by Covid-19 and that they faced double the fatality rate of healthcare workers and the general population.^[3]
6. That there have been 25,000 excess deaths in the UK’s care homes since the start of the coronavirus outbreak and that this represents 43% of the excess deaths nationwide.^[4]
7. That the GMB Union has described proper sick pay as “by far the best way to stop covid-19 spreading through care homes.”^[5]
8. That staff directly employed by the Council are, depending on their length of service, entitled to between one and six months of sickness absence at full pay and equivalent period following that at half-pay.
9. That Haringey was accredited as a London Living Wage borough by the Living Wage Foundation in November 2018. In an official comment, the Leader of the Council said that: “Ensuring that all our staff earn enough to have a decent quality of life is a fundamental part of our commitment to making Haringey a fairer and more equal borough”.^[6]
10. The statements by the Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on the 16^th March 2020 that “This government stands with local councils at this difficult time. Everyone needs to play their part to help the most vulnerable in society and support their local economy. The government will do whatever is necessary to support these efforts”.^[7]

Council believes:

1. That there is an overwhelming moral and public health case for the Council ensuring workers providing care on its behalf receive sick pay on similar terms to its own staff.
2. That SSP is not adequate to amount to a living wage.
3. That no care worker should face financial hardship because they followed public health guidance on preventing the transmission of potentially infectious diseases to those they care for.
4. That the coronavirus crisis has exposed that many essential workers are not valued by our society the way they should be and that care workers are a prime example of this.
5. That given the risks they have faced during the covid-19 crisis, both as a society and a local community, we have incurred a moral debt to care workers.
6. That whilst coronavirus has brought this issue to a head, similar considerations will continue to apply even when the virus has been eliminated and that the Council should aim to negotiate contracts that reflect this long-term need.
7. That whilst we acknowledge that paying decent sick pay to their workers will have financial consequences for third party providers and that they may seek to reflect this in the price they charge the Council for their services, there would also be compensatory benefits to these providers in terms of improving staff retention and morale, and preventing the business disruption and revenue loss arising from disease outbreaks.
8. That given its public health benefits, decent sick pay for care workers should be considered a “necessary” expenditure by local government within the meaning of the Secretary of State’s guarantee.

Council resolves to:

1. Ask the Cabinet to ensure that in this and any future negotiations with independent contractors to provide care, the Council ensures that the resulting contract requires any workers involved be guaranteed sick pay on similar terms to Council’s staff. This requirement would extend to those who work in care settings but are not defined as carers by occupation, such as security guards, drivers, cooks etc.
2. That as a matter of urgency the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health write to all care providers and unions representing care workers within the borough to inform them about this motion and the expectations that will arise as a result.
3. That the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to call on them to provide decent sick pay for carers nationwide.

Motion H

Black Lives Matter and the impact of Covid-19 on BAME Communities

Proposer: Cllr Adam Jogee

Seconder: Cllr Eldridge Culverwell

Background:

Haringey is one of the most diverse boroughs in London, with a long and proud tradition of celebrating our diversity and welcoming people from all backgrounds and communities to live, learn and work here. 

The brutal, and unlawful, death of George Floyd in the United States of America has justifiably triggered global protests against institutional racism faced by Black people right across the world, including here in the United Kingdom. 

These protests have come, alongside all the inequalities faced by Black people, in the wake of the devastatingly disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities in Britain and other parts of the world. 

It is clear that this impact has been made far worse by the structural inequalities Black people face when it comes to health, education and housing amongst the numerous obstacles that Black people encounter daily.

There has also been a sizable recognition that road names, buildings and other municipal institutions linked to, and named after former slave traders and colonialists, demand a re-think and potential re-naming, so as to give the Black community the rightful respect and recognition they deserve. 

The Council believes:

That Black Lives Matter.

That George Floyd’s brutal murder must be a catalyst for change across the world.

That no country, city, police service or institution can absolve itself of the responsibility to do better.

That there is no place for racism, anti-Semitism, islamophobia or any form of xenophobia or bigotry anywhere in our society.

That language is a powerful tool for inspiration and change, as well as oppression and ignorance and must be used wisely and respectfully.

That the London Borough of Haringey must show leadership in the campaign to rid our city and our world, of bigotry and racism. 

That it is necessary for our national and civic leaders to start an open and respectful conversation about who we are and what we stand for as a community.

That the national conversation on institutional racism and immigration should be conducted with care for the dignity of people who are vulnerable, who do not have a voice in the public domain, and have to suffer the consequences of inaccurate, insulting and inflammatory language.

That it is vital all efforts are taken to understand the impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities in the London Borough of Haringey and that we should work with all relevant stakeholders to mitigate the impact now and into the future.

That we must stand together as one.

The Council resolves:

That all Councillors stand with Black residents in asserting their fundamental right to raise significant issues concerning their community. 

That the values and beliefs outlined in this motion should guide the Council’s interactions and tackling of racism and bigotry. 

That our work, as elected representatives, must be to play a substantive and public role in ensuring racism and discrimination are challenged and eradicated at all levels.

That we will seek the views of BAME communities across the London Borough of Haringey on the issues arising from the Black Lives Matter protests.

That we will read and understand the Public Health England report on the effect of Covid-19 on Black and Minority Ethnic Communities.

That we will address the structural inequality identified in the Public Health England report in its planning for the Borough’s recovery. 

To carry out a comprehensive risk assessment of the working conditions of all our BAME staff both working at home, in Council offices and across the community.

That the values and beliefs outlined above should guide the Council’s interactions, discussions and work on these issues. 

That the Corporate Plan is updated to reflect the values outlined in this motion. 

Finally, that provision will be made for Councillors’ to debate the achievements and successes of Haringey’s Black Community at the next available full meeting of all members.