One of Australia's major aged care peaks has said expanding the 15 per cent pay rise to all staff is a crucial part of repairing the industry.
The Fair Work Commission (FWC)'s ruling in November last year excluded indirect workers such as kitchen staff and lifestyle workers.
Aged care workers received another blowout after the government decided to phase out the pay rise over two periods – the first 10 per cent in July 2023 and the remaining 5 per cent in July next year.
Chief of the Aged and Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) Tom Symondson said it's crucial to recognise that everyone working in aged care is valuable.
"If you are working in an aged care facility, you are almost certainly coming into contact with residents every single day," he said.
"Yet somehow the FWC decided they're not worth that additional money that nurses and personal carers are getting – and that feels very wrong."
Symondson joined Aged Care Insite to speak about the 'artificial' distinction between direct and indirect workers and how it's impacting people working in aged care.
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The pay rise also didn't include allied health workers. They provide DIRECT care everyday to clients either in their homes in at in-centre appointments. Tired of Allied Health being for forgotten unrecognised workers, yet very required for clients both on packages and my aged care services
Every staff member in Aged Care should be getting this pay rise. Without all staff catering no food, cleaning, laundry no clean linen or clothes and administration no wages paid! If all departments aren't working the facility would grind to a halt. I believe if fair work goes ahead with this, we will lose more staff across this industry.
It is completely wrong, and our peak bodies should be taking this on the unions have already shown that they don't care about all aged care workers.