Edinburgh Pentlands MSP Gordon Macdonald Welcomes Pay Rise For Social Sector Workers

SNP MSP Gordon Macdonald has welcomed the First Minister’s Programme for Government as crucial to ensuring those who work in child and social care are paid a fair wage.

The First Minister’s announcement means that private and voluntary sector staff working in Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and funded Early Learning and Childcare will be paid at least £12 an hour from April 2024.

This is an increase of more than £2,000 a year for some, and 10.1% from the minimum rate that was introduced in April 2023 for those eligible. It also represents a minimum increase in pay of 15.2% for workers in Children’s Services who previously received National Minimum Wage.

Commenting, Gordon Macdonald said:

“Increasing pay for those who care for the young and vulnerable is vitally important and will make a huge difference to social care workers across Edinburgh.

“While the minimum wage for adult social care staff is already around £900 a year higher in Scotland than it is in England, this uplift reflects the invaluable work done by those caring for the most vulnerable members of our society.

“The First Minister’s core missions of equality, opportunity and community are at the heart of this Programme for Government; with policies such as these benefitting up to 100,000 workers, of whom four out of five are female.

“The increase also reflects the SNP Scottish Government’s wider priorities on child poverty and fair work while recognising the critical role of these workers in our communities.”