COWDENBEATH MSP Annabelle Ewing has hailed the work of the heroes and heroines who work in ensuring social care is there for all who need it.

Ms Ewing, spoke in a debate in the Scottish Parliament on working to make Scotland 'a fair work nation' by 2025. During her speech Ms Ewing highlighted, in particular, the “heroines and heroes” of the care sector.

She underlined how important it was to steer the proposed Fair Work Action Plan into place.

Ms Ewing said: “The Scottish Government’s recently published 'Fair Work Action Plan', sets forth a number of key action points that must be implemented to ensure that the goal of Scotland being a fair work nation by 2025 is achieved.

"Quite rightly, the plan envisages close collaboration with employers, employees and trade unions, all of whose input and collaboration will be vital in ensuring that Scotland becomes a fair work nation.

“The genesis of that ambition can be seen in the Scottish Government’s establishment of the fair work convention back in April 2015. The convention is independent of Government, to which it acts as an advisory body. It is co-chaired by Professor Patricia Findlay and the general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, Grahame Smith.

“The convention has already done a power of work in pushing forward the fair work agenda. It published its fair work framework in 2016, in which it set forth its vision that, by 2025, people in Scotland would have a world-leading working life, where fair work would drive success, ensure wellbeing and prosperity for individual workers and benefit employers and organisations—and, indeed, society as a whole".

He said: “More recently, the fair work convention undertook an inquiry into fair work in the social care sector. Its report, which was published towards the end of February this year, raised important concerns about working terms and conditions and made recommendations to ensure that our vital workers in the care sector are treated properly."

“The Minister is currently reflecting on that report, and I look forward to getting his response in early course. I hope that it is a positive response because I say to our social care workers that they are heroines—and to men in the care sector that they are heroes—and they deserve to be treated better.

“Social care workers in my constituency of Cowdenbeath and across Scotland will wish to know that the Scottish Government continues to have their back, just as it did when it ensured the payment of the living wage to care workers who have a relationship with local authorities.

“I give credit to the Scottish Government for driving forward this important agenda. That work is being done in the main through collaboration and encouragement because this Parliament does not have powers over employment law. Just imagine how much more progress could be made over a much shorter period if it had such powers.”