Ivana is a home carer and spoke about how climate change already affects her and her colleagues at work.
As carers, they visit people’s homes in all weathers — they can’t just stay dry in an office, or work from home, or turn on the air con when it’s too hot.
With every extreme weather event — and they’re happening more often — home carers are taking risks to make sure service users still get essential care. Ivana gave an example: during Storm Eowyn, a tree came down and struck a council car — her colleague was lucky not to be seriously injured.
Heatwaves are exhausting, with real risks of heat exhaustion. Wading through floodwater to get medication is dangerous and unpleasant.
Ivana reminded conference: it’s home carers and other public service staff who provide the essential social infrastructure to help society cope with these emergencies — we need to look after them.
She said UNISON’s climate work must include bargaining for safer working conditions for care staff — proper risk assessments, emergency plans for services, and appropriate clothing for the job.
In this Year of Green Activism, we need to bargain for a climate-resilient present and future — and deliver a Just Transition for all public sector workers, not just energy workers.
Ivana Ferguson, South Lanarkshire urged conference to support Composite E on climate change