City MP Liz accused of sneering at supermarket shelf stackers
SHE WAS MAKING POINT OF HOW LOW-PAID CARE WORKERS WERE
shelves at Morrisons”. The shadow health and social care minister spoke on Tuesday in the House of Commons to raise the continuing issue of poor pay and employment terms in the care sector.
She said: “Despite repeated promises, the truth is that someone would be better off stacking shelves at Morrisons than caring for older or disabled people, and that is simply not good enough for our country.”
She went on to ask Conservative health and social care minister Helen Whately: “Can the Minister confirm that the government’s Covid infection control fund had to be used to improve pay so that staff did not have to work for more than one care home and could actually afford to self-isolate?
“If that is the case, will she commit to permanently enshrining these improvements across the sector to keep all care users and all care workers safe?”
Her decision to compare two sets of key workers has, however, angered people who work in supermarkets, or their relatives.
Leicester Anglican priest Canon Barry Naylor said: “My partner’s job involves ‘stacking shelves’ in a supermarket.
“He has been on the frontline for months, dreading going into work, in case he might bring Covid back home, but has gone in every day.
“Workers like him deserve respect, not spoken of as second class. Starmer’s Labour?” Others responded angrily to Ms Kendall’s comment on social media accusing her of sneering at hardpressed supermarket workers while herself drawing an £82,000 salary and expenses. It was pointed out “shelf stackers” have also worked long hours on low pay and their efforts have been essential to the country during lockdown.
The truth is someone would be better off stacking shelves than caring for older or disabled people
Liz Kendall
Frances Hilton tweeted: “Stacking shelves is essential, and honest work. How dare you degrade those that perform that service.”