Category: Community Support

Carers’ pay equity highlighted on Human Rights Day

Posted on December 10, 2024 by - Aged care, Community Support, Equal pay, Politics

On International Human Rights Day, E tū is calling on the Government to help fix gender-based pay discrimination by delivering pay equity for care and support workers.

E tū is the union for care and support workers, including those working in residential aged care, home support, disability support, and mental health and addictions. Over 65,000 care workers in Aotearoa New Zealand have been in a prolonged process for a pay equity settlement.

E tū Community Support Services Industry Council Convenor, Marianne Bishop, says it’s important to acknowledge the disparity on International Human Rights Day.

“The underpayment of people working in the care sector is a global issue, which reflects the undervaluation of work traditionally done by women,” Marianne says.

“In Aotearoa, we made some progress with Kristine Barlett’s historic equal pay settlement in 2017, but the pay has slipped back to near the minimum wage.

“A decent and enduring pay equity settlement is well overdue. Carers do this job because we want to make a real difference, and help people live their lives with dignity. Poor rates of pay are taking advantage of our commitment to helping people.

“By valuing care and support workers, we also show that we value the vulnerable elderly and disabled people who they care for.”

E tū National Secretary, Rachel Mackintosh, says fixing pay equity is an important human rights issue.

“Human Rights Day commemorates the anniversary of one of the world’s most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR),” Rachel says.

“This landmark document enshrines the rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

“To honour our commitment to human rights, we must end gender-based pay discrimination. Aotearoa has had some significant pay equity victories, but care and support workers are still waiting – and they’re fed up.

“It comes down to a political choice. The Government has prioritised tax cuts for landlords and tobacco companies, but won’t front up to pay women fairly.

“They must choose a different path, to prioritise working people and our communities. A decent and enduring pay equity settlement would be an excellent start.”

E tū is part of the Pay Equity Coalition Aotearoa (PECA), an alliance of civil society organisations working together to bridge the gender pay gap.

New report exposes a care sector in crisis

Posted on November 13, 2024 by - Aged care, Community Support, Equal pay

E tū, the union for care and support workers, is releasing a new report into the state of the care and support industry in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Transforming Care report lays out the many problems in the industry, including in residential aged care, home support, disability support, and mental health and addiction support.

The report tells the story of workers with their own voices, including a series of in-depth personal interviews with E tū members, the results of a survey of care and support workers, and support from various stakeholders across the community.

The report was compiled with the help of Dame Judy McGregor, who as first Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner, released the 2012 Caring Counts report, a result of the inquiry into the equal employment opportunity issues in the aged care workforce. Caring Counts was a significant part of the evidence base that lead to the historic equal pay settlement in 2017.

The report will be presented to a government representative by care and support workers, as well as their community supporters.

E tū Assistant National Secretary, Annie Newman, says we have a real crisis in care and support, which needs urgent attention.

“Our report, and our wider Transforming Care campaign, has a focus on three core pillars – the value of care, the standard of care, and the funding of care.

“Workers need to be properly valued, especially through their pay, for their essential work. They need decent conditions to work in, with decent training and the right number of staff to do the work safely. The funding model needs a total overhaul so the interests of carers, those they care for, and their communities are taken into account.

“We know that we can only solve these problems with the input of our whole community, and we are thrilled to have the support of individuals and organisations that share our concerns and are eager to work together for real transformation.”

Transforming-Care-Report-website-1Download

150 people picket against cuts to care at Ardiva’s Village at the Park

Posted on July 18, 2024 by - Aged care, Community Support

This afternoon about 150 people joined a picket line outside Ardiva’s Village at the Park, a residential aged care facility in Newtown, Wellington.

The lively crowd included residents from Village at the Park, their families, workers, and neighbours from the wider Newtown community. The event was hosted by E tū and NZNO.

With Arvida proposing to cut over 400 hours a week from care workers, nurses, and activity coordinators, the picketers had deep concerns about the impact on affected workers and the care they can provide.

E tū delegate and care worker Rita Narendra, who spoke at the rally, worries about the impact of the proposed cuts on residents.

“With fewer staff, we won’t be able to care for all of them because there won’t be enough time,” Rita says.

“I don’t want any resident to stay in bed until the end of the shift. I don’t want to see residents not getting up to enjoy their life as they always do. I don’t want to see any resident ringing the bell with no one attending to them. It’s very sad.

“Cutting staff means we won’t be able to spend time with them, to listen and ask questions. It’s not just about care, it’s about listening to them and spending time with them, so they feel like this is still home. We don’t want to take anything away from them.

“I want Arvida to know they’ve been providing a beautiful service for years. Why change now? Their name is held in high regard. People talk positively about this place, so why go back? Why not continue providing quality life for these residents who appreciate it so much? That’s my biggest question.”

NZNO care workers Charith Weerasuriya Arachchige and Nama Wiejesinghe share the sentiment.

“We feel huge frustration. How am I to give my all? We are not working with machines, they are humans,” Charith says.

“It’s hard because we are dealing with emotional stress, not just physical, and we need to have good mental health,” Nama says.

Village at the Park resident Lew Skinner spoke on behalf of independent living residents at the facility. He knows that the proposed cuts don’t make sense.

“No one sees staff sitting around doing nothing – we see no fat in the system,” Lew says.

“These proposals affect all of us. Independent residents are part of the Village at the Park ‘Living Well’ community, many are one short step away from moving into the care units.

“Residents and their relatives are dismayed they had not been clearly told by Arvida what is happening – the two letters they’ve received had given no real information and had just confused people.

“We recognise there are financial challenges. We do not believe the solution to this problem lies in cutting the numbers of staff, who are the lowest paid and most vital to resident well-being.”

ENDS

If you are a worker or resident at Village at the Park, or would just like to help us stop the cuts, email joanna.wallace@etu.nz to get involved!

Hundreds rally for pay equity for care and support workers

Posted on July 1, 2024 by - Aged care, Community Support, Politics

Joint release from E tū, PSA, and NZNO

Hundreds of people came together across the country today (Monday 1 July) at rallies calling on the Government to fully fund a pay equity settlement for care and support workers.

The three care and support unions, E tū, PSA, and NZNO, organised the rallies in Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill.

Workers chose today to rally because it marks two years since the claim was initiated and no settlement has been reached. Care and support workers at the rallies called on the Government to recognise their value.

“Imagine a world where our work is truly valued, where our contributions are fairly compensated” said PSA delegate Pinky Kumawat in her speech from Wellington. “This isn’t just a dream; it’s a demand for justice.”

In Wellington, NZNO delegate Anita Cook said, “Some of my colleagues regularly work 16 hours straight – some of them have even worked 24 hours straight. Vulnerable Kiwis depend on us for ensuring their well-being and livelihoods.”

E tū delegate Cushla Rahman got a resounding response in Auckland when she asked her fellow workers: “Do you feel like me; undervalued, not appreciated, and underpaid?”

“Pay equity means that caregivers can afford to have a life outside of their job,” said Cook. “And that means we have refreshed caregivers coming to work and giving their best. It means less burnout, less unplanned leave, and better care.”

The claim affects 65,000 people working in disability support, aged residential care, home support, and mental health and addictions support. The unions have worked with employers and Government in good faith for two years to reach a settlement, providing extensive evidence that care and support workers are underpaid.

ENDS

PM must commit to pay equity settlement for care and support workers

Posted on May 2, 2024 by - Community Support

The unions representing care and support workers are calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to pledge his commitment to deliver pay equity for the lowest paid workers on the frontline of healthcare in aged care, home support, disability support, mental health support. The call comes after today’s announcement of a proposal to disestablish the Pay Equity Taskforce within Te Kawa Mataaho, Public Service Commission.

The three unions – PSA, E tū and NZNO – say while Aotearoa has persistent gender pay gaps, where women are paid less than they’re worth, it is unthinkable to disband the expert group of people tasked with supporting pay equity.

The pay equity claim for care and support workers is well underway. Their claim simply aims to update the landmark settlement delivered by the National Party in 2017. Thousands of families have waited for almost two years for a desperately needed, and deeply deserved, pay increase.

Tossing out frameworks that guide how we address pay inequity leaves a massive gap in mechanisms for solving this problem. This change will particularly affect community and iwi-based organisations.

We are seriously concerned about a change in funding direction for pay equity claims in funded services.

Everyone deserves fair pay for their work. Pay equity claims for funded public and community services must be fully funded by the Government. If they are not, our communities will continue to suffer from understaffed and overstretched services when we need them. Our whānau deserve better.

Care and support is extremely important work – making sure people take their medications, helping them take showers, changing colostomy bags. Give health support to our older ones at home or in aged residential care homes. They support people through mental ill-health or addiction, and support disabled people to live independently.

Mental health support worker and PSA delegate, Christie Cox, says the decision is disappointing.  

“This is going to make it harder for women to get paid what we’re worth. Our services are already at breaking point,” Christie says.

“We deserve fair pay, which is why we’re calling on the Prime Minister to make the pledge.”

Aged care worker and E tū delegate, Marianne Bishop, says claims will be harder and slower to process without the Pay Equity Taskforce.

“We’ve already struggled for almost two years for our claim to be settled. It’s really frustrating,” Marianne says.

“Women deserve better. That is why we are calling on the Prime Minister for clarity urgently for care and support workers.”

ENDS

The Government must fund care workers before landlords

Posted on December 1, 2023 by - Aged care, Community Support, Equal pay, Politics

E tū, the biggest private sector union in Aotearoa New Zealand, is shocked to learn that the National Party’s coalition agreement with ACT would see planned tax breaks for landlords brought forward, costing at least $900 million according to analysis by the Council of Trade Unions.

The news comes as the new National-led Government is announcing more details about their fiscal plan. E tū urges the Government to prioritise workers and their communities, including essential workers in care and support.

One area that needs urgent attention is funding for the care and support pay equity claim. Care and support workers have already waited too long for proper recognition of their skills.

Caregiver and Convenor of the E tū Community Support Industry Council, Marianne Bishop, says funding the sector properly is long overdue.

“It’s stupid that the sector has always been so underfunded,” Marianne says.

“People pay taxes their whole lives, but then have to fight for the care they need when they are older.

“The new Government has some important decisions to make about their priorities. Landlords are not doing it tough, but care and support workers certainly are.

“We have only had up to a 3% pay rise in the last year, with some of us getting nothing, despite the cost of living increasing so much more than that. Everyone is really struggling, especially our colleagues in home support who have to cover their own vehicle costs and other expenses.”

Marianne says the Government needs to fund pay equity to ensure the care sector can function properly in the future.

“We have an ageing population and an ageing workforce. What’s going to happen in 10, or 20 years’ time? How are going to attract new people into the industry if they can’t earn a living? It’s just not going to work.

“We won the first settlement under a National Government in 2017, now it’s time for them to step up again. They keep saying that people voted for change, well now it’s time to really change things for people who need care and those who provide it.” 

Te Whatu Ora must stop unjustly delaying pay equity for 65,000 care and support workers

Posted on October 6, 2023 by - Community Support

E tū, The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA), and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) are calling on Te Whatu Ora to stop interfering in the Care and Support Workers’ pay equity claim that has left 65,000 underpaid health workers waiting.

“For more than a year we have undergone a rigorous pay equity process. We have systematically proven and measured the undervaluation of care and support workers based on their gender,” says PSA Assistant Secretary Melissa Woolley.

The three unions filed the claim on 1 July 2022 with 15 employers that are representative of the wider care and support sector, employing around 30 percent of the workforce.

“We are disappointed that as we near the end of the process, Te Whatu Ora has interfered and overstepped its role by trying to initiate a review of work on the claim that has already been completed and received the necessary sign off,” says E tū Assistant National Secretary Rachel Mackintosh.

Pay equity claims follow a prescribed process overseen by the Public Service Commission. Each milestone during the process is awarded appropriate signoff before advancing to the next stage and Rachel says the proposed review seeks to re-open elements of the work that have already been signed off.

“We are on the edge of a decision that would make sure care and support workers are paid fairly for what they do and that would strengthen our community-based health services. This unwarranted and damaging proposed review has significantly delayed reaching a settlement,” says caregiver and NZNO delegate Trish McKillop.

Unions have issued a legal challenge to the review.

An open letter has been launched calling on funders to provide sufficient resources to settle the claim as soon as possible and stop the interference. The letter is supported by community organisations including Grey Power, the National Council of Women, and the Council of Trade Unions.

The situation is now urgent as the Care and Support Workers Pay Equity Settlement Act is due to expire on December 31 st with no assurance of how its protections will be maintained.

“We are committed to working with the next government to ensure care and support workers receive a pay equity offer by the end of the year,” Melissa Woolley says.

Further information:

  • The Care and Support Workers’ pay equity claim covers home support workers, aged care workers, disability support workers, and mental health and addictions workers.
  • Aotearoa celebrated proudly in 2017 when unions won an historic pay increase for care and support workers following landmark legal wins championed by aged care worker Kristine Bartlett. But since then, their wages have regressed back to minimum wage while the cost of living has skyrocketed.

Support worker wellbeing report exposes huge psychosocial impacts during pandemic

Posted on August 30, 2022 by - Community Support, COVID-19

A report into the wellbeing of home support workers during the Covid-19 pandemic calls for urgent measures to address workers’ concerns.

On Wednesday, researchers from AUT led by Associate Professor Katherine Ravenswood and union representatives from E tū and PSA, who collaborated on the report, will meet with Minister of Health, Andrew Little, to seek commitments to take crucial action on its recommendations.

The Wellbeing of Community Support Workers During the Covid-19 Pandemic is unique in that the research was conducted not only by the AUT researchers but also by home support workers themselves, who were trained to interview their peers.

The research, funded by the Health Research Council, reveals the huge psychosocial and physical impacts on workers, due to their isolation, marginalisation, insecure working conditions, financial stress, and poor communication from employers.

“Most people think all we do is make cups of tea and do housework. But I am showering my clients, changing dressings – things that require me to be very up close and personal,” one support worker says.

“Yet we had no masks, no gloves, or aprons. In those early days I spent a lot of time crying in my car.”

Many workers said they felt a sense of insecurity about their work hours, if they could continue to work, and whether they would retain their incomes.

“I was in one of the vulnerable groups, and we didn’t know whether to continue work or to stay home or whether I will be financially supported or not.”

E tū Director Kirsty McCully says decades of systemic undervaluation of this mostly-women workforce has had a profound effect on their individual and collective wellbeing.

“The reflections in the report are honest and cut to the heart. There is no mistaking the stresses these low-paid women workers felt, or the brave actions they took to protect vulnerable clients.”

PSA Assistant Secretary Melissa Woolley says the research shows, where they could, workers consistently went the extra mile to make sure clients were protected and gaps in care were filled.

“There are lessons not only about the Covid-19 pandemic, but about how this group of workers has ended up so forgotten and unrecognised despite the enormous importance of their work, and about what can be done to change this.”  

The report’s recommendations include upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles, introducing wellbeing centred employment practices to reduce issues like isolation and financial insecurity, recognising workers’ contribution and expertise, and developing a well-resourced sector to sustainably deliver care and support services. 

The report will be delivered to Parliament on Tuesday 30 August and presented to the Minister of Health on Wednesday 31 August.

Unions lodge pay equity claim for care and support workers 

Posted on July 1, 2022 by - Aged care, Community Support, Equal pay

Unions representing care and support workers are lodging a pay equity claim today to raise pay rates for a majority female workforce that has always been undervalued.

The pay equity claim is a crucial step in stemming the crisis the care and support sector faces, E tū, NZNO, and PSA unions say.

Last week, the Government passed legislation which gives care and support workers a three percent pay increase for 18 months, while the pay equity claim is completed.

Unions say the disappointing pay increase is a “step backwards” in workers’ fight to win fair pay rates.

E tū Director Kirsty McCully says unions are pushing to achieve pay equity as soon as possible.

“Care and support workers, who are mostly women, deserve recognition and fair pay for the crucial work they do in our communities.

“In 2017 when the Act was first passed, we finally achieved decent pay rises for workers who had been undervalued and underpaid for decades.

“But now with the cost of living sitting at 6.9%, this low-paid group of workers is struggling to survive and that directly impacts those who need care and support: elderly, people with disabilities, and those with mental health and addictions needs, and their whānau.”

PSA Assistant Secretary Melissa Woolley says unions are calling on the Government to “fast track” the pay equity process.

“We need the Government to value these essential health workers and respect the people they support by expediting the pay equity process and by funding an interim pay increase, as they have for all other health workers during their pay equity processes.”

NZNO Manager for Industrial Services Glenda Alexander says raising pay for workers by achieving pay equity is a key part of solving the crisis in the care and support sector.

“Workers are leaving the sector because they can’t survive on what they earn,” she says.

“Raising pay rates and creating viable career pathways is a major factor in ensuring care and support workers have decent work, but also in making sure that people in our communities have access to the care they need and deserve.”

ENDS For more information and comment:
Kirsty McCully (E tū), 027 204 6354
Melissa Woolley (PSA), 0274 418 230
Glenda Alexander (NZNO), 027 201 6881