Our new campaign to fix the care and support industry
Despite how important their work is, care and support workers face significant challenges. E tū has launched our latest campaign, Transforming Care, to fight for a care system that works properly for both those receiving and those delivering care.
Our campaign was launched at Parliament, acknowledging the responsibility of the Government over the care sector. Three of our members stood up to explain what their work lives look like, and what needs to happen to improve them. Labour MPs joined the launch and committed to working with E tū on solutions, both by campaigning with us from Opposition and making real change when next in Government.
Our campaign focus
Decent work including pay equity
A big issue is the lack of fair pay. Many workers in these fields are paid rates that do not reflect the skill and emotional toll their jobs entail. It’s a product of gender-based pay discrimination, as most of the workforce are women. We’ve been leading the charge against this, including with Kirstine Bartlett’s historic pay equity settlement in 2017, but rates have slipped behind again and our care workforce has been waiting far too long for justice.
Health and safety
Health and safety concerns are also widespread, with many workers experiencing physical strain and emotional burnout. The intimate nature of their work, particularly in environments like mental health and addiction services, exposes them to higher risks of workplace violence and emotional distress.
A funding model that delivers quality care
The Government contracts out services to over 10,000 providers, from large, profitable aged care chains, to non-profit organisations, to tiny family providers. All of them have to wait until July each year to know how much their funding will increase by (if at all). This means that they cannot plan how they deliver their services. There are a number of solutions to this, such as longer-term funding, bringing services in-house to be provided directly by government, and funding based the best social outcomes like decent wages and conditions, not the lowest price.
