‘Punched and kicked’: Key Aussie industry on brink of collapse as 75 per cent of workers plan to quit
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Published November 22, 2022
News.com.au, 22 November 2022
Shocking survey findings claim three in four aged care workers in Australia plan to quit within the next six months unless offered a hefty pay rise.
The decision will bring the already crisis-ridden sector to the verge of collapse, the Health Services Union revealed in its Aged Care Snapshot report on Tuesday.
With some aged care workers being paid as little as $22 an hour, the union claimed the interim 15 per cent pay rise to direct care employees awarded by the fair work commission two weeks ago is not high enough.
The union reinforced its call for a 25 per cent increase across the sector‘s workforce as more than 90 per cent of the 2000 workers surveyed said securing the full 25 per cent pay increase was “extremely important” for them.
“A full and comprehensive pay rise for the entire sector is beyond urgent,” HSU National President, Gerard Hayes said.
“Aged care is on the verge of a mass resignation that will trigger the sector’s collapse.
“This is not a problem that can be solved by bringing in the army or phasing in a pay rise; we need an urgent injection of money into the bank accounts of workers,” Mr Hayes said.
“Aged care workers cop abuse, pain and back breaking strain and they do some of society’s most unpleasant and demanding work.
“And until now they have been paid three-fifths of bugger all with pathetic job security.
“Enough is enough, the time for platitudes and reviews has passed.
“Unless we want our elderly cared for by robots and fed frankfurts and jelly, we need to commit to funding a full pay rise for all sections of the aged care workforce,” he said.
A survey participant called Jade said she felt the residents deserved a higher standard of care.
“Almost every day I want to cry because I feel like we are understaffed and undervalued,” she said.
Health Services Union national president Gerard Hayes said the aged care workforce was on the verge of a mass resignation which would cause the sector to collapse.
“This is not a problem that can be solved by bringing in the army or phasing in a pay rise,” he said.
“We need an urgent injection of money into the bank accounts of workers.”
Mr Hayes said aged care staff did some of society‘s most unpleasant work while being paid “bugger all” and described job security in the sector as pathetic.
“Enough is enough,” he said.
“Unless we want our elderly cared for by robots and fed frankfurts and jelly, we need to commit to funding a full pay rise for all sections of the aged care workforce.”
“Aged care is on the verge of a mass resignation that will trigger the sector’s collapse. This is not a problem that can be solved by bringing in the army or phasing in a pay rise. We need an urgent injection of money into the bank accounts of workers.
“Aged care workers cop abuse, pain and back breaking strain. They do some of society’s most unpleasant and demanding work. And until now they have been paid three-fifths of bugger all with pathetic job security.
“Enough is enough. The time for platitudes and reviews has passed. Our work value case is absolutely pivotal. Unless we want our elderly cared for by robots and fed frankfurts and jelly, we need to commit to funding a full pay rise for all sections of the aged care workforce.”
“I have been punched, kicked, spat on, hair pulled and verbally abused- these times have been difficult but not nearly as difficult as working extremely short staffed constantly, as no new workers want to join the industry because of the pay rate and conditions we have to work in.” A carer named Kerry said about her challenges.
Another carer, Moran, remembered the time they were caring for 25 residents, “crying inside and in physical pain as I was running around”.
“I was getting complaints from the residents about why they haven’t got their medicine, food, and routine care on time.”
Carer Lana said she gives “every resident 100% every day, but the ‘powers that be’ do not value the work” they do.
“Every day we put our bodies through hell, cop abuse (verbal and physical) wipe away tears, wipe bums, clean hands, faces, feet and all the other body parts, and all of this in such a short time frame, that it seems almost impossible, but we still get it done,” Lana said.
Alan said the hardest moment for him is “when a dementia resident hits you because they are covered in faeces and don’t understand why.”
Jade joined in the chorus saying “almost every day I want to cry because I feel like we are understaffed and undervalued and I always feel like these residents deserve more time individually, instead of a rush and then on to the next resident”.
“I guess every day is the biggest challenge solely because I feel like they deserve more, and I can’t give that to them because of the aged care system and the lack of staffing and wages,” Jade said.
Amy remembered being punched in the abdomen and her spleen being bruised.
Johanna restated the effects of being severely understaffed saying, “one person to tend to over 80 people‘s medications means that we don’t have any breaks.”
“Aching legs and back with huge bills on a tiny pay,” said Morgen.
The Albanese government backed the 15 per cent rise “for our undervalued and underpaid aged care workforce” during a union conference in Melbourne on Monday.