Yesterday, you may have received correspondence from the HSU regarding your employers pay offer of 2%. This is incorrect. Your employer, along with 80 others in New South Wales and the ACT is offering you and your colleagues a 1.5% wage increase from 1 July this year- and has asked you to give up bargaining for one more year.

Is 1.5% good enough? Have your say here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ACSA21

For many members, this is the same deal offered last year. A small wage increase and nothing more.

Last year members decided to take up the fight with the Federal Government to fund aged care wages. We lobbied, we rallied, we zoomed, we signed petitions. We launched our campaign to raise wages in aged care by 25%.

Since then, the Aged Care Royal Commission has handed down its final report and recommended increased wages. Since then, the Federal Government has handed down an extra $17.7 billion to flow into aged care over the next five years. And yesterday afternoon, the Fair Work Commission handed down a 2.5% wage increase to 2.2 million workers.

Is 1.5% good enough? It’s now up to you and your colleagues to decide. Should we reject the offer and fight for more? Or should we accept the offer and hope that bargaining will commence next year?

You can have your say here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ACSA21

Whatever the decision of members, our ultimate goal to win a 25% wage increase across the entire aged care sector will continue. We won’t give up until every aged care worker is valued and paid for the incredible work you do.

We apologise for any confusion caused by yesterday’s email.

If you know someone who isn’t a HSU member, let them know about what’s happening with their wages. If they want to have a say or be part of the fight for something better they can join online at www.hsu.asn.au/join or call 1300 HSU NSW and join over the phone.

In unity,

Gerard Hayes

Secretary, HSU NSW/ACT/QLD