Derry Magistrate's Court
Derry City and Strabane District councillor Shaun Harkin (People Before Profit) has welcomed Council's unanimous support for his party's motion on a "real living wage" for care home and domiciliary care workers.
Mr Harkin said: "Derry City and Strabane District Council unanimously supported our motion to demand that the Health Minister follow through on his commitment to pay healthcare workers in the independent sector the Real Living Wage.
"People Before Profit acknowledges the incredible work carried out by care home and domiciliary care workers. It is shameful and an outrage that these key workers, who are also overwhelmingly women, are being denied a promised wage increase.
"Council will now write to the Minister and Stormont Executive calling for the Real Living Wage to be implemented for these heroes. This would only be a first step to vastly improving their pay and terms and conditions.
"People Before Profit will continue to fight for a health service that is free from privatisation and that all healthcare workers are paid a wage that they can live on."
The full text of Cllr Harkin's motion to November's full Council meeting was: "Council is alarmed and disappointed at the decision of the Stormont Health Minister to reverse the previous commitment to pay workers in the independent care sector the Real Living Wage.
"Care home and domiciliary care workers perform an essential role in our health service and deserve to be treated with the utmost respect and paid properly.
"Council will write to the Health Minister to request that he works with the Stormont Executive to follow-through on the commitment to pay workers in independent care sector the Real Living Wage as a first step to improving their terms and conditions."
