Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
REWARD OUR BRAVE FRONTLINE HEROES » »
Generals support Mirror Give health staff bonus
TWO generals went into battle yesterday to reward heroes on the coronavirus frontline.
In a message to the PM, ex-head of the Army Lord Dannatt said: “Their lives are on the line. Fair is fair, I say.”
And backing the Sunday Mirror call for immediate bonuses, ex-Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Richards said: “I wholeheartedly support it.”
THE Sunday Mirror’s fight to reward healthcare heroes got a huge boost yesterday – from people who know a thing or two about battle.
Former head of the Army, General Lord Dannatt, and ex-Chief of the Defence Staff General Lord Richards joined forces to back our campaign for cash bonuses to be paid NOW.
We want Chancellor Rishi Sunak to introduce a special daily allowance to be paid to nurses, doctors, support staff and care workers who are risking their lives.
It would be based on a tax-free allowance given to soldiers in war zones. Lord Dannatt said: “All the talk is about our heroic NHS and care workers on the front line, just as we talked about our brave men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“But the difference is we gave our soldiers an extra daily allowance to fight on our behalf, so why are we not doing the same on the NHS and care front line?
“Their lives are on the line, like soldiers – fair is fair, I say.”
VALUE
And Lord Richards added: “One good thing to come out of the pandemic is the chance for us all to pause and rethink what is important.
“Those that genuinely serve and sometimes risk their lives for their country must go much higher up the list of those we value most – whether nurses, doctors, soldiers or care workers. The Sunday Mirror campaign symbolises this and I wholeheartedly support it.”
Former Labour PM Tony Blair weighed in too. He said: “Well done to the Sunday Mirror for this campaign to recognise the enormous efforts of NHS staff and care workers. Every day they show incredible bravery and commitment, for which they deserve the country’s fullest support.”
Nurses start on £24,200 – just £11.63 an hour. That’s less than the £12.60 paid in Germany, £14.80 in Australia, £14.86 in Italy, £18.64 in Norway and £23.95 in Sweden.
Support staff like porters, healthcare assistants and cleaners get just £18,005 a year. Some are so tight for cash they have to rely on foodbanks to get by.
So far more than 171 NHS and private care workers have been killed by Covid-19 – rising by 39 in a week. Support for their cause grew as the UK death toll rose 621 yesterday to 28,131, edging grimly closer to becoming the highest in Europe. Our campaign has already led to a Commons motion being tabled by Labour’s Jon Trickett.
There’s a petition up now on Parliament’s website which the whole country can sign to show its gratitude.
The GMB union, representing more than 100,000 NHS and care staff, is
backing our call. The pay supplement would also recognise paramedics, radiographers, physios, porters, hospital cleaners and catering staff who can be at as much risk as nurses and doctors.
And we want the reward go to brave care staff helping frail and elderly without adequate PPE. All deserve a pay review when the pandemic is over. But paying a bonus now and for the duration of the crisis will put cash in workers’ pockets when they most need it.
The Government has found money for furloughed workers – and businesses.
That’s not to mention the £500billion handed out to banks in the crash of 2008.
Labour MPs who signed the Commons motion support our call. Gateshead’s Ian Mearns said: “Clapping and banging pans is smashing but a lot of these heroes need something now.”
Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Streatham, added: “Offering immediate payment is a step in the right direction to making sure no key workers experience poverty.”
Richard Burgon, Leeds East, said: “I’m proud to back the Sunday Mirror campaign to get a bonus that gives the respect and recognition they deserve.”
Liverpool Wavertree’s Paula Barker says there should be “a reckoning” after the crisis to address low pay.
She said: “Health workers need to be properly rewarded for the work they do.”
Backing came from the son of Abdul Mabud Chowdhury, 52, the East London consultant who died from the virus.
Intisar, 18, said: “I’m proud to support the campaign. I’d also like to see families of late NHS and care workers given the same honour and benefits as servicemen and women who die in the line of duty.”