Employer organisations and trade unions say a commitment by the Scottish government to the creation of a new voluntary social care bargaining body represents a historic moment and potential ‘turning point’ in the long running battle for fair pay and conditions – but say the pre-election promise must be accompanied by both the will and the funding to deliver real change.

The Scottish government says its commitment to create a forum during 2026 to negotiate better wages and wider terms and conditions will potentially benefit more than 110,000 people working in adult social care services commissioned by local government.

The announcement in the last week of the current Scottish parliament term represents a statement of intent from the SNP should they, as polling suggests they will, form the next Scottish government.

In the meantime, the government says it will immediately put in enough money to close the gap in funding for maternity and paternity pay between social care workers employed by independent and third sector providers, and their council counterparts.

Minister for Social Care and Mental Wellbeing, Tom Arthur says the commitment to collective bargaining is needed to make social care an attractive and rewarding career option:

“Social care workers provide essential, skilled support to the people we love, often in demanding and emotionally challenging circumstances. They deserve pay and conditions that reflect that,” Mr Arthur said, adding:

"I thank trade unions and provider representatives for their positive engagement on this issue and look forward to close cooperation with them as we deliver sectoral bargaining.

"The steps we are taking today, with partners, deliver on our commitments and mark a major milestone in building a social care sector which we value, which we can be proud of – and that any of us may one day depend on."

The Scottish TUC and the unions UNISON, Unite and GMB have welcomed the commitment saying it is a long overdue step towards fair pay and improve conditions in the care sector. But, they warn, the creation of any new body must be backed with sustained funding to address insufficient current pay rates, and a clear timetable for delivery.

Care practitioner, Tina Stirling, who is a GMB rep at Maria Mallaband Care Group said:

“Anything that will finally deliver fair pay for care workers will be welcome, but actions are more important than words and we have heard too many words on sectoral bargaining and seen no action at all.

“Years have been spent and wasted talking about delivering fair pay and now suddenly we are told, a few weeks before an election, that a new body is going to deliver it. We will be watching carefully to ensure it does so with absolute urgency.”

Martin Boyle, a UNISON rep at Capability Scotland said:

“The news that has come from the Scottish government that at long last care workers will start to get the strong voice they deserve, is positive. For too long we have been undervalued, under paid and not respected for the job that we carry out. This represents a significant step forward in that battle for equality and the best news to greet the care sector in a generation.”

Sandra, a Unite rep in Social Care added:

"It's a step in the right direction but still falls short of improving conditions in social care. We have been asking for sectoral bargaining for as long as I can remember so it's good to see it finally coming to fruition. I do however reserve judgement on the effectiveness until I see a marked improvement in pay and T&Cs in the sector."

Too long a wait

Responding to the announcement, STUC General Secretary, Roz Foyer, said:

“This announcement is an important step in the right direction. Care workers have waited far too long for a system that recognises their value and gives them a real voice in setting pay and conditions.

“But warm words and new structures are not enough. This must lead to higher pay, better conditions and a workforce that is properly valued and retained.

“We will be holding the Scottish government’s feet to the fire to ensure this delivers real, tangible change for workers on the ground.”

The organisation representing independent providers, Scottish Care, said ministers have finally accepted the case it has been making for many years that “fair work is not optional but foundational to a sustainable, ethical care system”.

Scottish Care CEO, Professor Donald Macaskill said his organisation looks forward to turning the commitment into reality:

“Fair Work is a shared national ambition. But ambition alone will not lift pay, stabilise services, or secure the future of care. The women and men providing care every day deserve more than warm words. Rather they deserve action matched with investment.”

Scottish Care says the next step will be for ministers and councils to deliver a clear, fully costed and time-bound national plan to fund Fair Work consistently across all commissioned services, recognising the true cost of care and moving from short-term emergency support to a sustainable long-term settlement aligned with wider social care reform.

A new approach

The Chief Executive of CCSP, Rachel Cackett, representing not-for-profit social care providers in Scotland said she was pleased that their concerns about fairness in pay are finally being heard and hopes the commitment will be taken forward by whoever forms the next Scottish government:

“Sectoral bargaining, if done well, has the potential to finally lever the delivery of Fair Work. The urgency of achieving this is clear to anyone who needs, or works in, social care in Scotland. Because of this, we have been involved in negotiating a new approach for some time with government, union colleagues and our partners at Scottish Care.”

Ms Cackett added:

“The announcement of additional immediate funds to relieve some of the financial pressures faced by support staff is also positive and we look forward to seeing the detail of the government’s commitments here, including: how much investment is available to meet the commitment in full across all adult and children’s commissioned services and how it will flow through to providers to support their staff at pace.”

 

Read more: Union and charity unite over care pay crisis; Care can be valued, visible, viable and visionary; Government ‘lacks urgency’ on care reforms; Beyond the edge: why care homes are in crisis;

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