Strike to stop ‘suffering’
Aged-care workers say conditions put patients at risk
HINCHINBROOK aged-care workers have taken “unprecedented” strike action over what they say is poor pay and long hours that jeopardise the health and wellbeing of elderly residents.
About a dozen members of the United Workers Union from Blue Care and Churches of Christ aged-care facilities in Ingham braved the rain to strike “for better pay and conditions” in Rotary Park on Tuesday.
Uniting Church-owned Blue Care is the largest agedcare provider in Queensland, with northern operations in Ingham and Townsville.
Churches of Christ operates Palms Aged Care in Ingham and the Rockingham Aged Care Service in Cardwell.
Across Australia, industrial action was planned to hit eight major providers employing more than 12,000 workers in 160 aged-care facilities that care for more than 12,500 residents.
Hinchinbrook union representative Kerry Louise Pitt said the strike action did not include nurses or assistant nurses but would include personal care workers, cleaners, kitchen staff and maintenance workers.
“The starting pay rate is roughly $20 to $22 an hour and for the work the cooks do, the cleaners do, it’s not right,” she said.
“At the moment, even before Covid, we are doing double shifts, triple shifts, we are working 12 days straight and there’s no reprieve, no nothing.
“They [providers] are burning their staff out, which is then causing residents to suffer and it is not fair on them.”
Ms Pitt said the demand on critically important staff directly impacted the vulnerable residents.
“There can be late meals, we are short-staffed so … they might not get what they need straight away, they could be waiting.”
She said staff needing a break were calling in sick “or just don’t come to work anymore”.
United Workers Union Aged Care director Carolyn Smith said workers had been forced to take the unprecedented measures “because of pay and conditions that are failing workers and failing residents”.
“Talk to any aged care worker and they are devastated they can’t give the level of care their residents need,” she said.
“They are taking strike action to make sure their employer gives them more time to care.”
Churches of Christ said it “understood the frustrations behind the industrial action”.
“Our intention is to continue to progress negotiations that ensure pay increases, as well as create conditions and solutions that meet the needs of our workforce,” director of seniors’ living Donna Hart said.
“We have provided immediate wage relief as an interim measure while negotiations are ongoing.”
She said that in addition, Churches of Christ would welcome increased federal government funding to aged-care providers “so that we can continue to grow and maintain our workforce into the future”.
“We are united with our team members in wanting to deliver the best quality of care to our residents, valuing the important contribution of aged-care workers nationwide and seeking appropriate funding to improve wages within the aged-care industry.”
Unitingcare said Blue Care’s enterprise agreement negotiations with bargaining representatives and employees were “productive and ongoing”.
“We continue to encourage our employees to participate actively in these negotiations and support their right to take protected industrial action,” a spokesman said.
“The health, wellbeing and safety of our residents is paramount and Blue Care will ensure essential care is maintained at all our facilities at all times.”