Hartlepool LG UNISON Branch made Christmas a little brighter for five of its low-paid members by successfully claiming a total of over £5,000 from their employer.
Since April 2016, the UNISON members, who work for a Hartlepool care provider, were paid a ‘sleep-in’ rate under that of the National Living Wage (£7.20 per hour).
Negotiating on the UNISON members’ behalf, Hartlepool UNISON settled the members’ claim industrially and the five members happily received the owed back-pay in December 2016. Going forwards, the members will now, thanks to UNISON’s intervention, receive the correct National Living Wage rate for all hours worked.
From April 2017, when the National Living Wage rises to £7.50 per hour, it will be vitally important that UNISON members check their payslip to ensure they are receiving what they are legally entitled to.
UNISON continues to campaign on behalf of its members and calls on all employers to pay the Living Wage of £8.45 which is independently calculated by the Living Wage Foundation.