Our Care UK members in Doncaster must be congratulated on the success of their sustained strike action.
Last week, they took their case to Westminster as MPs debated the illegal underpayment of care workers. They received the support of Ed Miliband and many other local MPs.
Two days later, after 90 days on strike, their persistence was finally rewarded with an offer from Care UK to settle this dispute.
Over the past 12 months, the commitment and determination of these workers has been admirable in the face of enormous cuts to their pay.
But these 70 carers, who make their living by caring for some of the most vulnerable people in their community, have not just fought to save their livelihoods – they have been fighting to secure the future of the vital service they provide.
Care UK has become the public face of everything that is wrong with the way that homecare is commissioned and provided: a private equity owned firm that has cynically attempted to deskill its workforce and drive down the wages of its staff.
Hundreds of thousands of care workers across the country, and the people who rely on them every day, will be in a race to the bottom unless councils and providers recognise that better pay and conditions lead to better standards of care.
This saves councils money, keeps people living independently, and reduces demands on the NHS.
Our Care UK members have made an enormous sacrifice by foregoing their wages over the past few months.
They have stood firm in the face of a cynical attempt to drive down their wages and deskill the workforce.
And they, like all care workers, must be rewarded with the pay and conditions that recognise their skills and responsibilities.