I WAS delighted when the council, through the Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership, recently signed up to Unison’s Ethical Care Charter.

The Ethical Care Charter was developed by Unison following concerns raised on a UK-level by service users, providers and homecare staff. 

By adopting it we are demonstrating our shared commitment with the trade union to achieving fair work and better pay for everyone employed in the sector in Inverclyde and improved quality of care for service users.

The Charter allows workers to spend the time they need with clients rather than be restricted to a specific time slot and to be paid for their travel time and costs.

Where possible, people will see the same homecare worker and zero hour contracts will not be used in place of permanent contracts. Staff will be paid at least the Living Wage.

As an accredited Living Wage employer the council is keen to promote its implementation across the care sector and beyond. 

Next week at the Policy & Resources Committee I will be proposing we pay the new Living Wage Foundation rate of £8.45 per hour, announced on 31 October, to all council staff with immediate effect rather than waiting until the implementation date of 1 April. Around 700 employees will benefit from this move.

Adopting the Ethical Care Charter and paying the Living Wage are evidence of our commitment to working in partnership our trade unions and complement the ‘Partnership at Work Pledge’ agreement we signed in 2015.

We were one of the first councils in Scotland to pay the Living Wage back in 2012 and now we are one of the first to sign up to the Ethical Care Charter.

Elected Members, with one possible exception, recognise the importance of managers and trades unions working together for the benefit of the council and its employees and to safeguard and deliver quality public services for the local community. We see our trade union colleagues as part of the solution rather than as part of the problem.

Throughout my time as council leader I have been impressed by the way in which management and trades unions in the council have conducted discussions and negotiations over some very difficult issues in a spirit of mutual trust and respect. 

Rarely have the trade unions felt the need to speak directly to me or other senior politicians, which is exactly how it should be.

The contribution of the trades unions to our deliberations on budget savings proposals has been particularly invaluable over the years.

While always seeking to represent the interests of their members, they have been understanding of the difficult financial decisions faced by the council.

We can only hope these positive relationships continue in the years ahead, which promise to be even more challenging.