UNISON Hails Work Permit Changes as Victory for Common-Sense

Many much-needed, highly-skilled migrant workers, facing deportation over new work permit rules, breathed a sigh of relief today as UNISON learned that there is to be a big step forward in its campaign to get the changes reversed.

The Government has confirmed that further changes to transitional measures to ensure continuity of care will be made. This should mean that thousands of senior care home workers, many originating from the Philippines, who were facing deportation, will be able to stay in their jobs, or apply to work for another care provider.

Changes to immigration rules had meant that up to 10,000 senior care workers would not get their work permits renewed because their employers didn’t pay them what the Home Office had decided was the rate for the job. In addition, tough new skills criteria acted as a total bar on the issue of new permits, meaning that these staff could not even move on to another job which did pay the Home Office pay rate.

The changes sent shock waves through the care home sector. Care home owners and residents rely heavily on the skills and expertise of overseas workers. To lose 10,000 senior care staff would have thrown the sector into crisis.

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:

“This is a victory for the campaign, for the workers, for the owners, for the residents and for common-sense.

“This is a tried and tested workforce and the change in permit rules led to enormous pressure in the care home sector. Employers who need these staff to run their businesses, care home residents who rely on these staff, and UNISON members will be reassured that there is to be a change of heart.”

Senior care worker, Gene Capulong, working in Leicester, said:

“We are all so relieved, care workers, residents and their relatives. We hope we will now be able to get on with doing our jobs, caring for our elderly residents and having a normal life without the fear of deportation”.

UNISON has been lobbying the Government for the changes to be reversed, many of its members were affected by the rules – campaign groups worked tirelessly around the regions to lobby MPs.

UNISON is also welcoming the Government's decision to keep the measures under review, and we will want to ensure that the needs of the care sector and the staff who work in it are properly taken into account.

Ends

The Border and Immigration Agency has said that there will be changes to the 13 August (BIA) guidance:

1. if a worker finds another job with another employer willing to pay the £7.02 BIA “going rate”, the new tougher skills criteria will be waived when judging their application for a new work permit.

2. If a worker has a work permit which was issued in 2003 there is to be a further concession - believed to be a waiver of the tougher skills criteria and the £7.02 going rate. This change will be confirmed shortly.

UNISON held a national seminar on migrant workers yessterday (18 December) at which senior care workers were present to talk about their plight.