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Porters working with deceased patients are being underpaid despite putting their lives on the line with highly distressing work, it has been claimed. The NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital in Glasgow have been hiring porters for the emergency facility at the SEC – starting at just £9.50 per hour. But there are now calls for the Scottish Government to ensure their NHS staff are being paid fair wages for what is being dubbed as “both physically and emotionally challenging” work.
“When everything is over, perhaps a discussion can be started on who is more valuable to society – bankers and politicians, or porters, cleaners, etc?”
Graham Smith, heraldscotland.com
“A reminder: The Living Wage in Scotland is £8.75 per hour. The National Minimum Wage is £7.38 per hour for those aged 21 and over. National Minimum Wage for workers aged over 25 is £7.83 per hour.”
Mireille Pouget, heraldscotland.com
“There are two ways of measuring the importance and value of a job. One is by how many formal qualifications the person in a job has gained over the years and the other way is to look at the impact that the person doing the job will have on society in general if they choose to withdraw their labour.”
Patricia Calder, heraldscotland.com
“If people voluntarily apply for the job knowing full well the requirements and the salary that is up to them. A far greater issue is the quality and quantity of protective equipment being supplied to everyone involved in helping those effected by this dreadful pandemic. Care home staff and the care services seem to have been let down very badly.”
Andrew Mcmillan, heraldscotland.com
Game of two halves
SPFL clubs are to vote on a resolution recommending the termination of the 2019/20 season in the Ladbrokes Championship, Ladbrokes League 1 and Ladbrokes League 2 – with final season placings determined by points per game in league matches for each club. The resolution recommends that matches in the Ladbrokes Premiership remain postponed for the time being – but if it is determined the remaining matches cannot be played, the league would also be terminated, with final season placings determined on the same basis.
“The clearest possible message that Scotland’s ‘diddy’ clubs don’t matter. Why can’t the principle of a vote apply to all divisions of the league?”
David Macleod, heraldscotland.com
“That this has come less than 24 hours after FIFA instructed them to play the seasons to a finish and truncate the following seasons accordingly demonstrates why no one in world football trusts those in charge of the Scottish game.”
Mark Boyle, heraldscotland.com
“It’s incredible to think that Neil Doncaster is still in his job. Scottish football will never improve with him at the helm.”
Bob Smith, heraldscotland.com
No easy peak
UK ministers have cautioned that it is still too soon to begin lifting the coronavirus lockdown with suggestions the peak of the outbreak could come within the next week or so. Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, standing in for Boris Johnson, said “taking our foot off the pedal” was the worst thing the country could do right now.
“You can only make plans on something that is predictable; so far there has been very little predictable with this virus. ‘No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy’.”
Lisa Zack, heraldscotland.com
“Lockdowns are unsustainable and will very soon cause far bigger problems. How are health care systems going to fight Covid-19 if they are starved of money?”
GU Threepwood, heraldscotland.com