Stefan Bradley
YARRAM District Health Service (YDHS) aged care workers will be enjoying a 15 per cent pay rise, to take effect from July 1.
Some aged care providers such as Royal Freemasons are currently, or will soon be, in discussions with staff to consider the pay increase, formally announced in this month’s federal budget.
But YDHS Chief Executive Paul Head has confirmed they intend pass on the increase that was ordered by the Fair Work Commission on February 21.
“Yarram District Health Service respects the decision handed down by the Fair Work Commission and is working to ensure all legislative requirements are met,” he told the Gippsland Times.
The federal government had originally aimed to raise the pay of aged care staff in two instalments, but the Fair Work Commission overruled this and ordered it to be delivered in one go from July 1.
The budget had confirmed a 15 per cent pay increase at a cost of $11.3 billion; the government said this would apply to registered nurses, enrolled nurses, assistants in nursing, personal care workers, head chefs and cooks, recreational activities officers (lifestyle workers) and home care workers.
At some stage, the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission will consider whether the 15 per cent pay increase should go even higher to 25 per cent. The unions have also pushed for the increase to apply equally to all workers in aged care.
The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) had said prior to the budget they were concerned that some providers would not pass on the pay increase.
“While we’re pleased that the government has delivered on its promise to increase aged care wages, our big concern is that many nursing home operators won’t pass on the money intended for workers,” ANMF Federal Secretary Annie Butler said.
“We have good reason to be concerned about this, because this is what has happened for the last 30 years when consecutive governments have given private aged care operators almost $2.5 billion, specifically to boost wages.
“There’s been a long history of lost wages and workers have been consistently let down.”
