Hundreds of charity workers who balloted to strike have now received a fresh pay offer. 

Carers at Enable Scotland, a social care charity with a base in Motherwell, could see their hourly rate upped to £12.20 as an additional £900,000 has been invested in staff pay.

Unison have said that staff will now be consulted on the offer, with consultation taking place for three weeks from October 10.

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Postal strike ballots were issued to 575 staff at Enable Scotland from September 13. The ballot was due to close at the end of this week but Unison has now paused it.

Unison said if the offer is accepted, it will lift carers’ minimum hourly rate to £12.20, backdated to April this year.

The union described the offer as the “best deal available at this stage”.

Thomas Baylis, Enable Scotland’s Unison steward, said: “Strike action is always a last resort, especially for workers who support some of the most vulnerable people in Scotland. That’s why pay in social care must improve.

“The employer must prioritise its workforce and begin moving towards the urgent pay reform the social care sector desperately needs.”

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Unison Scotland social care organiser Wendy Hudson added: “Social care is demanding, skilled work, carried out by some of the poorest paid employees in Scotland.

“While this offer doesn’t achieve everything the union hoped for, it’s the best deal available at this stage.

“Now care workers can choose whether to accept.”

A spokesperson for Enable Scotland said: “Enable has worked closely in partnership with Unison for a number of years to progress fair work in social care across the sector.

“Unison recognise that we have offered the best deal available at this stage, and the ability to pay more to the social care workforce is entirely dependent on external funding.

“We would welcome a national pay settlement for the third sector social care workforce which is on a par with pay deals for care workers in the public sector.”