COVID-19 £500bonus forpharmacy storestaff
Pharmacy workers at an East supermarket will now get a £500 COVID bonus after a U-turn by a leading supermarket chain.
Bosses at Morrisons – whose Stewartfield store has a pharmacy – had said they would not be passing on the thank you, announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, to staff.
But the firm has now been forced into a climbdown after the decision sparked a backlash.
Morrisons had earlier this week said it was opting out of the scheme, unveiled by Ms Sturgeon as a reward to all NHS and frontline care workers.
The company insisted a boost to staff bonuses had already been agreed, and pharmacy workers would not be receiving the top-up.
But the move was greeted with anger among affected workers and branded “the height of arrogance” by Scotland’s former health secretary Alex Neil.
He had said: “This is an offer from the Scottish Government and shouldn’t be for individual companies to decide what happens next.
“It certainly isn’t for Morrisons to step in and say no – it is the height of arrogance from them.”
Morrisons initially pointed out that they had guaranteed a double staff bonus for this year which is worth more than £1000 to full-time workers.
But the firm have had a change of heart.
They said: “We’ve taken another look at the arrangements put in place by the Scottish Government to pay a one-off ‘thank you’ to every NHS and social care worker, and can now confirm that we will process these government payments directly to eligible Morrisons colleagues.
“We would again like to confirm that we’re incredibly proud of the full part played by all our key workers, who continue to make a truly incredible contribution in these very challenging circumstances.”
Rules around the payment mean independent contractors, such as pharmacists, cannot receive the £500 payment directly from the government
Instead, they must claim through their employer but there is no obligation around such claims being made.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Morrisons supermarkets have noted that all their workforce are key workers and supporting the communities’ response to the pandemic and as such have provided every member of staff with a with a bonus payment.”
The Scottish SPCA is appealing to animal lovers in East Kilbride and Strathaven to donate cat scratching posts and toys for felines in the care of its Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Lanarkshire.
Items can be purchased from the centre’s Amazon wishlist or via any other online retailer offering direct delivery to the centre.
Centre manager Gillian Boyle said: “We are currently in need of some enrichment items for our cats to keep them happy and stimulated while they wait for their forever homes.
“They’d love some scratching posts to keep their claws healthy and some toys to stave off boredom. They’re particularly fond of the dangle wand toys!
“Although the centre has been closed to the public during lockdown due to coronavirus restrictions, our staff continue to care for the animals as normal.”
She added:“In 2020 we looked after 354 cats throughout the year and we expect 2021 to be just as busy.
“Often the animals require veterinary treatment or rehabilitation when they first arrive meaning it could take several months of dedicated care before an animal is ready to find their forever home.
“It’s a long time to spend in a cattery environment and enrichment items like these make such a difference to the cats’time here.
“If anyone can help with toys or scratching posts for these moggies, we would appreciate anything that people can spare.”
Cat toys and scratching posts can be dropped in to the Scottish SPCA Lanarkshire Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre on Bothwell Road, Hamilton, or from Amazon wishlist: http://amzn.to/2MAvjmR