Care workers in Salford are to get a pay rise of up to TEN per cent.

Despite austerity, the council, which is closely aligned to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, has approved on a huge pay hike.

Pay for care workers is set to rise to £8.30 an hour.

The government’s minimum wage - for people 21 to 24 - is £7.05. The national living wage is £7.50 for workers over 25.

Whitehall cash is financing the move in Salford, which will see some staff get up to 80p more an hour.

The move, by the town hall and NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning Group, will bring salaries for 300 workers up to more than £17,200.

Workers at the five agencies contracted to provide social care in the city will see the increase in their October pay packets.

It could mean a rise of up to 80p an hour increase for some staff.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Salford mayor Paul Dennett said the measure would cost around £725,000 over the next two years, but said care workers were ‘worth every single penny’.

“Care workers do one of the most important jobs in society and it is only right that they should receive decent pay for it,” he added.

“It will mean a significant boost to individual pay packets and give people extra money to spend in our local economy.

“It will also help with the challenge of recruiting and retaining good staff to care for our most vulnerable people.”

The money will come from a three-year national government grant to help adult social care cope with unprecedented demand, recruitment and retention of staff after widespread reports of a ‘crisis’ in social care last year.

Coun Tracy Kelly, lead member for adult services, health and wellbeing said: “Care workers are tremendously under-valued, and have borne the brunt of austerity at the hands of the current government.

“The ‘grant’ money we received should never have been taken out of the system in the first place.

“Hopefully this pay rise will play a small part in mitigating the stress on our staff.”

Dr Tom Tasker, chair of NHS Salford CCG, said: ““The demand for adult social care services is increasing because of the growing number of older people needing care and others living with complex and multiple needs, but being able to recruit and retain staff has been affected by historically low wages. This move addresses this.

Unison branch secretary Steve North said: “This is a step in the right direction and very welcome. UNISON has been lobbying local authorities and the NHS to raise employment standards across social care.

“Good wages and decent terms and conditions are not just good for workers, but because they mean better training and less turnover of staff, they are also good for the vulnerable people they look after.”

Earlier this week, the council, announced it was set to open SEVEN new libraries.

The town hall has given the go-ahead for seven new sites, brand new computers and extra opening hours - at a time when neighbouring councils are closing them.

New council houses are also set to be built across the city.