Pay adult care staff fairly, argues Danczuk

Rochdale Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Simon Danczuk

Rochdale’s Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Simon Danczuk, has urged the Council’s portfolio holder for social care, Councillor Dale Mulgrew, to put a stop to what he says is "discriminatory pay among adult care workers" adding that "many are being unlawfully underpaid". 

Mr Danczuk said: “Councillor Mulgrew was all smiles in a photoshoot claiming that adult care services in Rochdale are improving,” he explained. “Now it has emerged that staff morale is not only at an 'all time low' according to Unision, but that talks are taking place with lawyers representing care workers and Rochdale Council over unequal pay between men and women.” 

“After all the upheaval the people delivering these services have had to experience because of poor management from the council it really does add insult to injury to now find out that care workers are being underpaid simply as a result of their gender,” added Mr Danczuk.

John Wadham, legal group director at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, added: “The quagmire of equal pay in local government needs to be ended now, and the thousands of women involved deserve money in their pockets now – not in another 10 years’ time.”

Paul Rowen MP responded, “The Council agreed with the unions back in 2004 when I was Leader of the Council to a full pay and regrading review. That is now substantially completed. It will mean some people getting an increase in pay, others staying the same and yes some people’s pay being cut. The process was agreed by the unions.

"At the same time last year the Council paid out over £12million to settle outstanding claims for back pay. Rochdale has led the way on this, it is other councils that have been behind in reaching agreement.”

Councillor Keith Swift, the Chairman of the Council’s Single Status Committee slammed Mr Danczuk, saying his comments were ‘opportunist and uncaring.”

The all-party committee have been charged with carrying out the process of sorting out Local Government worker’s pay.

Councillor Swift said: “This Council is committed to equal pay and equal opportunities. In 2004, Local Government employers along with Trade Unions agreed that we would evaluate the pay of all staff to make sure that there was equality. This is a national agreement and Councils across the country will be quite rightly undertaking a similar review. Staff will be consulted on the outcomes of the review in the next few months.

“All parties have been fully involved, including senior Labour Councillors, and have willingly contributed to this process. This has been ongoing since 2004, when all parties were represented in this Council’s Cabinet. I am therefore surprised that Mr Danczuk doesn’t seem to be speaking to his Labour colleagues. There seems to be a growing rift between Labour’s Parliamentary Candidate and as usual he is saying one thing, whilst his democratically elected colleagues are doing another. They are obviously far better informed and Danczuk’s regular undermining of his councillors is like an albatross around their necks.”