The Australian government has acknowledged the need for increased pay for elderly care employees.
The Albanese Administration agreed to compensate for any potential wage increases for aged care personnel in a declaration to the Fair Work Commission (FWC).
The professional payments umpire sought a 25% pay increase for 200,000 workers, claiming that the current award amounts do not fairly represent the value and competence of the sector.
The Covid-19 epidemic intensified industry demand, and the Royal Commission on Aged Care Quality and Safety recommendations from the previous year prompted this approach.
Tony Burke, director of jobs and workplace development, has diminished their job's worth. That needs to be altered.
Some claim that the wages offered in the elderly care sector are insufficient to attract people to work there, leading to a labour shortage that affects the standard of care given to Australia's aging population.
Workforce Shortage
The Health Department's modeling indicates that for the next five years, the industry must increase by 6.6% yearly to meet demand.
Unions and industry groups have argued pay increases are needed to attract and retain skilled workers for the sector.
Aged Care Minister Anika Wells said a pay rise was the first step to addressing workforce shortages. https://twitter.com/i/status/1556839023234412544
Various Treasury Department modeling suggests that a 25% salary increase may lead to a five- to ten percent increase in the labor force.
Wells stated in a statement released by ministers Tony Burke and Mark Butler that "as our age grows, we won't be able to attract and retain enough personnel to care for our members of the family until we start compensating aged care employees fairly."
The gender pay gap is mainly caused by low pay and unfavorable conditions of employment in care industries, like Certificate IV in elderly care, where the majority of staff are women.
Salary levels in the aged care sector need to increase to ensure that men and women are paid equally.
This amendment may lead to a raise in the minimum wage for elderly care workers of at least $5 per hour, raising the amount from $23.09 to $28.86 per hour, based on earnings at the time the request was filed.
The union's strategy predicts that phase one aged care employees' weekly wages may increase from just over $800 to more than $1,000 as a consequence.
The FWC has been taking arguments into consideration about this matter since 2020, and it is slated to hear them this month.
Discover how to become an aged care worker in Australia and how much they are paid.
