UNISON general secretary Andrea Egan has warned Labour that plans for a National Care Service will only succeed if migrant care workers are treated with greater security and dignity, as the union prepares to rally outside Labour Party Conference in Liverpool.
Egan said UNISON members would gather outside the conference on Monday 28 September to send a clear message to ministers about the role international workers play in sustaining social care.
She said:
"You can't build a National Care Service while attacking migrant workers."
The rally is due to take place at the Liverpool Experience Campus near the conference venue, with the union calling on Labour to ensure migrant care workers are protected as the Government develops its social care reforms.
Union backs National Care Service — with safeguards
UNISON has long campaigned for a National Care Service and welcomed Andy Burnham's support for the idea. But it argues any serious overhaul must address the position of migrant workers, who make up an important part of the workforce and are particularly vulnerable to exploitation under the current sponsorship system.
The union says many migrant care staff are tied to individual employers through their visa status, making it harder to leave poor conditions or challenge mistreatment. It has repeatedly called for a sector-wide visa that would give care workers greater freedom to move between employers.
Concern over settlement rules
The dispute also centres on proposed changes to settlement rights. UNISON has opposed proposals that could extend the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain for many migrant workers, including health and social care staff, saying such changes could make it harder to retain experienced staff in a sector already facing shortages.
Earlier this year, hundreds of migrant care workers joined a UNISON demonstration in Westminster as part of the union's Fair Visa Campaign, delivering a letter to Downing Street and lobbying MPs.
Egan: reform must tackle exploitation
Egan has argued that immigration reform and social care reform cannot be separated. Commenting earlier this month on changes intended to help some care workers leave exploitative employers, she said the measures were "a small step in the right direction" but did not go far enough.
UNISON wants Labour to preserve a clear route to settlement for public-service workers, introduce sector-wide sponsorship in social care and strengthen protections against abusive employers.
Rally during Labour conference
The union's conference rally is scheduled for Monday 28 September, when Labour delegates, ministers and MPs will be in Liverpool. UNISON says the event will put migrant care workers' concerns directly onto the conference agenda.
Egan's message is that creating a National Care Service requires more than structural reform — it also means giving the workforce, including migrant care workers, security, fair treatment and the ability to build their lives in Britain.
