Union in plea to bin new care plan
The next FM must ditch the plans for a National Care Service, a trade union chief has urged.
Unison Scotland, the country’s biggest health union, wants candidates in the running for the top job to guarantee they would dump the plans should they win.
Its Scottish secretary Tracey Dalling said the plan to nationalise care services was not fit for purpose, would cost jobs and puts profits before people.
Leadership candidate Humza Yousaf has said he would “rethink” the plans but has yet to confirm if he would ditch them altogether, while rival Ash Regan said she would put them on hold.
The third person in the running, Kate Forbes, said she did not agree with scrapping the measures but added that she would rework them. She said: “I recognise the widespread questions being raised, including by trade unions, and would commit to working with them to ensure proposals to improve care have the support of Cosla, are targeted in meeting the need and will actually be delivered successfully.”
Dalling said: “I am urging all candidates for FM to pledge to withdraw the Bill so we can get back around the table to build a national care service worthy of the name.
“The current Bill puts profit at the very heart of service provision as well as creating an insecure workforce.”
Care services in Scotland are currently provided by private firms and local authorities but, under new plans, they would be centralised and councils and third-sector organisations would bid for the work.
Labour and the Tories have been critical of the plans, as well as the SNP’s own members in their trade union group.