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CTU Welcomes Hard Hitting Report into Aged Care Sector
CTU Welcomes Hard Hitting Report into Aged Care
Sector
CTU today commends the EEO
Commissioner on the release of a report into the pay and
work conditions in the aged care sector, and supports the
findings of the report. CTU Spokesperson Eileen Brown says
“this is a hard hitting report into the conditions of
work, and a call to action to address issues of pay and
conditions in the aged care sector.”
Eileen Brown
says “the report verifies the disturbing reality about the
pay and work conditions in the aged care residential and
home care sectors. The overwhelmingly female workforce is
not just low paid: it is very low paid. Workers in aged care
are subsidising the services they work in through their low
wages because of the caring nature of the work they
do.”
“Pay is a reflection of the value of the
work that people do - it is insulting and unjust that people
who have worked in this sector for over 20 years would be on
wages at or near the minimum wage.”
“We can’t
afford not to change and invest more in this workforce; we
need an enlightened response to the report’s
recommendations. People are not getting the services they
are entitled to because aged care workers are not receiving
adequate training or supervision and there is high turnover
of staff. The flow-on effect on the delivery of safe,
quality care is a huge cost to the
sector.”
“This report builds on a positive
starting point of unanimous agreement among providers, DHBs,
consumers and their families, workers and their
representatives about the changes required for a sustainable
workforce. The implementation plan sets out the foundation
for change, all that is required now is Government
leadership and sector collaboration.”
“We
already know that with an ageing population, the future
demand for aged care workers will grow. The approach by
the Government seems to be “ignore it and it will go
away” but the implications of not addressing future
workforce issues are huge. The report identifies
opportunities for how the sector can work together on
addressing current and future workforce
issues.”
“The Service and Food Workers Union
and New Zealand Nurses Organisation are the two main unions
in the aged care sector and have done an excellent job over
the past ten years advocating for workers in this sector. To
be backed up by the Human Rights Commissioner is very
important and makes the connection between decent and fair
working conditions and human rights.”
Eileen
Brown said “CTU commends EEO commissioner, Judy McGregor,
for this report and her very moving account of what it is
like to work as a
caregiver.”
ENDS
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Te Kauae Kaimahi
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi brings together over 350,000 New Zealand union members in 40 affiliated unions. We are the united voice for working people and their families in New Zealand.
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