New research published by the TUC has found that the average pay for private sector frontline care workers is just £308 per week, compared to top directors of care firms who are paid an average of £18,777 per week.
Although still poorly paid, care staff who are employed directly through local authorities receive average pay of £373 per week. In other words, they earn on average £3,400 more per year than those employed in the private sector.
In the absence of a plan by the government to fix the crisis in social care, the TUC is calling for:
- A reduced private sector role in the care sector
- A new funding settlement to fully offset the cuts of the last decade
- Immediate funding to fill all social care vacancies to reduce the pressure on care staff
- Fair pay and conditions for care workers to provide sustainable livelihoods and an attractive career
- An end to zero-hours contracts and poor, or non-existent, sick pay
- A national social care forum to bring together government, unions, employers, commissioners and providers to coordinate the delivery and development of services, including the negotiation of a workforce strategy
- A universal service free at the point of use.
High pay for senior directors is not just a problem in the care sector, however. For example, the latest report from the High Pay Centre found that the median FTSE 100 CEO was paid £2.69 million in 2020, which is 86 times the median full-time worker in the UK.
Pascal Soriot of AstraZeneca was the highest earning CEO, making £15.45 million, ahead of Brian Cassin of Experian who made £10.3 million.
Read the analysis from the TUC in more detail here.
To read the report from the High Pay Centre, click here.