School cleaners, refuse collectors and pupil support workers should also receive a £500 "thank you" bonus, a trade union has claimed. 

GMB Scotland told the Daily Record the hard work of council staff should not be forgotten.

The bonus for NHS and social care workers was unveiled by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this week as an appreciation of their work during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Nicola Sturgeon said: “The applause was important, but it was never enough. Our appreciation must be shown in a more tangible way.

“Those who have worked in our hospitals and care homes - at the sharpest end of the COVID trauma - deserve recognition now."

However, trade unions have called for other workers to be recognised with the bonus too. 

Drew Duffy, GMB Scotland Organiser, said: “It’s right the First Minister has recognised our NHS and social care workers but it’s wrong to ignore the contribution made by other key workers on the frontline of public services, many of whom are among the lowest paid.

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“Refuse collectors, school cleaners, pupil support workers – these are just some of the people in local government who have worked for all of us throughout this pandemic, but they have been forgotten by the First Minister.

"NHS workers deserve it, social care workers deserve it, and all our key workers deserve it. The First Minister must do the right thing and say, “thank you” to them all by extending the award of this payment.”

Scottish secretary of the Unison trade union Mike Kirby said: Yes all those who have worked hard throughout this pandemic deserve recognition. UNISON welcome the payment of £500 for NHS and social care staff and we are working through the detail with the Scottish government.

"However we should also recognise the work of all public sector workers across Scotland. So many in the public sector have been heroic throughout this pandemic: refuse collectors, social workers, school and early years staff, those working in the police service and universities and colleges, to name just a few. They have all been working through extraordinary circumstances to keep us safe.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said:“We are hugely grateful to the efforts over recent months of the many key workers in different sectors across Scotland as they have risen to the challenge of responding to the pandemic.

“This payment recognises the particular debt we all owe to health and care staff, who have been – and continue to be – on the very front line of this crisis, helping to save lives and to protect us all.”