A landmark case to lift the wages of Australia's aged care sector has begun in Sydney as the national health union pushes for better pay conditions for their workers.
The Fair Work Commission will decide whether those working in home and residential aged care should receive a 25 per cent pay increase.
According to the Health Services Union (HSU), entry-level care workers are paid about $21 an hour, but now, the union is calling for the Fair Work Commission to increase wages by 25 per cent above the award.
For president Gerard Hayes, he says aged care staff are not "getting the dignity they deserve".
"What we're doing today is making a statement - a 25 per cent wage increase is what aged care workers need to be able to give that dignity, respect and care to the people who put us in the position we're in today," he said.
"This is not just an industrial and legal issue, this is a moral and a social issue."
Dozens of witnesses are expected to give evidence at the hearing, including unions, employees and aged care providers.
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Fair Work Commission considers case to pay Aged Care workers more
SBS News
26/04/202203:24
Mark Castieau, a chef with 20 years of experience in the aged care industry, said many residents have complex needs, but aged care workers like him don't get the pay that they are entitled to.
"Aged care at every level, in every job. is an incredibly challenging and undervalued job. We have to meet a lot of special requirements for lots of people," Mr Castieau said.
"It's actually a highly skilled job, but it's paid as if it’s a menial job."
Maurice Blackburn lawyer, Alex Grayson who is representing the Health Services Union (HSU), said over 100 statements have been filed since late 2020 in support of the union's application for higher wages.
The HSU submitted to the Fair Work Commission that little had been done to enact the 148 recommendations from the recent Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.
In its submission, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation said: "There are many aged care nurses, who have left the aged care sector because the crisis has simply become too much to bear."
“It’s no coincidence that this work, predominantly done by women, has been historically undervalued.
Mr Grayson said that, if successful, all workers in aged care will receive a pay rise - a significant achievement that could incentivise more people to join the aged care sector.
"I guess [Fair Work Commission] have to value how much is it worth to hold somebody's hand when they're dying and stroke their hair?
"How much is it worth to clean them every day, to clean the faeces off, to clean the sheets, to clean the floors? How much is it worth to support somebody through dementia and end of life?" Mr Grayson said.
A report by the Committee of Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), released in August 2021, warned that Australia currently needs 17,000 more aged care workers to meet basic standards of care.
By 2050, it is estimated Australia will need 400,000 more aged care workers - a critical shortage that Mr Grayson says must be catered for in the future.
"This is incredibly important work not just for those who are currently in aged care but for those who will come into aged care in the future which is all of us," Mr Grayson said.
The hearing follows a series of strikes earlier this month in New South Wales which saw thousands of health workers walk off the job demanding better pay and conditions.
Labor has promised a nurse for every aged care provider 24 hours a day if it wins the federal election.
In January, the Coalition announced a one-off $800 bonus for aged care workers and said it would boost the number of home care packages.
The hearing will conclude in July, with a decision to be expected to be made by the Fair Work Ombudsman in 2023.
