Fair pay for care workers
Care workers keep communities going every day. They support older people, disabled people and families across Wales, often while facing low pay, insecure hours, poor sick pay and intense pressure at work.
UNISON Cymru is campaigning for a social care system that values care workers, protects people who need support and keeps public money in public services.
This means fair pay, better conditions, a National Care Service, an end to profit-driven care and action to stop visa-based exploitation.
Join the UNISON Cymru Care Workers WhatsApp Community
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What care workers are fighting for
UNISON Cymru care worker members are organising around four key demands.
1. Improve pay and conditions
The Employment Rights Act 2025 has given Welsh Government powers to deliver a collective pay deal for all care staff in Wales, to be negotiated nationally between employer bodies and trade unions representing care staff.
UNISON Cymru’s Fair Pay for Care Workers campaign is calling for a fair pay deal that raises the base rate of pay and tackles the priority issues care workers have identified, including full sick pay.
Care workers deserve pay and conditions that reflect the skill, responsibility and emotional labour involved in the work.
2. Deliver a National Care Service
Our campaign for a National Care Service, free at the point of need, is about building a public service that is delivered for people, not profit.
Social care should be an institution we can be proud of for generations to come, just like the NHS.
Work has already begun in social partnership, with trade unions and employer bodies, to begin standardising policies across the care sector. UNISON Cymru will keep pressing for this work to go further and faster.
3. End profit in adult social care
UNISON Cymru is calling for a National Care Service that is delivered for people, not profit.
Much of care provision in Wales is contracted out to the private sector. The outsourcing of care has allowed public money to leave the system while care workers face low pay, poor conditions and inconsistent standards.
Cash-strapped local authorities should not be forced to rely on a model that squeezes pay and weakens accountability.
UNISON Cymru wants the commitment to remove profit from children’s care services extended across the entire care sector in Wales, as part of the strategy for a National Care Service.
4. Challenge visa-based exploitation
UNISON’s Fair Visa Campaign calls on UK Government to replace employer-sponsored visas with a sector-wide scheme, so care staff can leave exploitative employers without risking their immigration status.
The current visa system has left some UNISON Cymru members facing threats, unpaid wages, long periods without a day off and illegal charges running into thousands of pounds.
Visa rules are controlled by UK Government, but Welsh Government, councils and care commissioners still have a responsibility to do everything in their power to challenge exploitation in the care sector.
Read more about UNISON’s Fair Visa Campaign
What happens now
The campaign now moves into its next phase. UNISON Cymru will keep organising care workers, building workplace networks and pushing decision-makers to deliver meaningful change.
Winning a fair pay deal will depend on care workers speaking to each other, joining UNISON, sharing their priorities and taking action together.
Every conversation helps build the campaign.
Tell us what issues you would prioritise in a social care fair pay deal for Wales
Build the campaign in your workplace
You can help by talking to colleagues about what needs to change in social care.
- Ask colleagues what issues matter most to them.
- Encourage care workers to join UNISON.
- Share campaign updates in your workplace.
- Join the WhatsApp community for member updates.
- Tell UNISON what should be prioritised in a fair pay deal.
Care workers deserve fair pay, safe conditions and respect.
When care workers organise together, we are much harder to ignore.