Unite bosses have called for an urgent meeting with Dundee City Council to resolve an ongoing dispute over registration fees for care workers.
The local authority has refused to cover the cost of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) registration fee, instead asking workers to pay.
The trade union said imposing the costs during the coronavirus pandemic will leave a “bitter pill in the mouths of carers.”
The annual fee starts at £25 for all support workers, £35 for residential child care and school care workers, and for social work managers and care inspectors, there is a yearly cost of £80.
Union members have also raised a collective grievance under the council’s internal process.
Regional officer Bob MacGregor said: “Unite is demanding an urgent meeting with the city council’s leadership in order to press our fight that they reverse the ludicrous decision to impose registration fee costs on to carers.
“How on earth the council thought it was ever a good idea before Covid-19, never mind still maintaining this position during the crisis is staggering.
“It will be a very bitter pill for carers to swallow if they are forced to pay this fee while literally putting their lives on the line right now, and Unite will do everything to secure justice for them.”
A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said: “This matter has not progressed as we had originally intended because of the priority being given to supporting services relating to Covid-19.
“However it remains the intention to pick it up as soon as possible, looking not only at SSSC registration in isolation, but also at other matters raised by the trade union colleagues linked to registration and training and development across the workforce.”
