Slashing social care funding could put more pressure on other public services, a leading charity has warned.
Age Concern expressed fears that cuts would put the welfare of elderly people at risk, following news that hundreds of Dundee’s care workers could strike over proposed salary reductions.
Dundee City Council is in talks with trade unions in a bid to reach an agreement and avert industrial action.
If imposed, the changes to hundreds of shift workers’ terms and conditions could see them worse off by up to £3,000 a year a situation Unison is recommending its members reject.
An Age Concern Scotland spokesperson said: “Any cut to social care funding risks harming the welfare of the most vulnerable in society.
“We understand that the council are having budgets cut, but by targeting these cuts on the people who are caring for our older people then we risk transferring the problem of care needs to other public services.”
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: “Discussions with the trade unions are still going on and therefore it would not be appropriate to comment.”
The proposals causing the controversy would affect shift workers on higher salaries, who are currently paid a grade above their level to reflect the anti-social hours they work.
If the new conditions are imposed, they would go back to their actual grade and will receive a 7.5% shift premium when they work nights, weekends or early mornings.
But despite the shift premium, it is claimed that they will still be around £1.20 an hour, or up to £3,000 a year worse off than under the current system.
The staff affected work with a variety of vulnerable service users, from children with disabilities to elderly people.
Unison has also raised concerns about the proposals widening the pay gap between the sexes, due to the high number of women employed as social care and community workers.
It is understood that up to 90% of such employees in the city are female.