WORKERS who have battled the scourge of the coronavirus sweeping through Britain’s care homes should be decently paid, trade unions and campaigners said yesterday — and the public supports the call.

Research by the Fawcett Society has found that half the public believe that the government did not prioritise care homes enough as the pandemic began.

The equality charity identified “overwhelming support” for carers to be better paid, with seven out of 10 Conservative supporters backing a rise in income tax to fund an increase.

The TUC and general union GMB said that 50 years after the Equal Pay Act, the workers, mainly women, caring for some 410,000 vulnerable and elderly people in Britain’s 11,300 care homes should be better paid.

The virus is believed to have taken hold in care homes when elderly patients, infected with Covid-19, were transferred from hospitals to make way for the expected demand, despite government assurances that care homes had been “ring-fenced” to protect them in the first days of the pandemic.

Many care homes were unprepared, reporting desperate shortages of protective wear for staff. Some 11,000 residents have died, more than a quarter of the national total, and at least 200 care home staff have died from the coronavirus.

Fawcett Society chief executive Sam Smethers said: “The truth is government did not prioritise the care sector at the start, and the public are clear on that. This must change.

“As a minimum, it is time to properly protect them, give them decent terms and conditions and start paying them a living wage.”

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Care workers have been on the front line of this pandemic, putting their own health on the line to care for the elderly, sick and vulnerable. Many have lost their lives. 

“Ministers must get serious about fixing our care sector and giving care workers the pay and respect they deserve.” 

GMB national equality and inclusion officer Nell Andrew said: “The research paints a clear picture on how the public view the dire lack of action from the government to protect care homes and our heroic care workers.  

“We cannot wait another 50 years for equality and fair pay.”