Is there hope for aged care nurses?

Above: Federal Secretary of the ANF, Lee Thomas

By Yasmin Noone

More and more low paid aged care nurses are starting to question their career choice and consider the possibility of leaving the sector if wages do not increase, a new survey has found.

The preliminary results from an Australian Nursing Federation (ANF) online member poll, which shows that around 77 of aged care nurses will leave their job if their pay is not increased, provides further evidence of wages discontent in the sector.

Around 12 per cent of survey respondents said they were unsure whether they would stay or go and 10 per cent responded that they had no plans to leave the aged care sector, regardless of what they were being paid.

The survey was posted on the ANF’s Because we care campaign website last Friday, one day after Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced $2 billion worth of funding towards social and community service (SACS) worker wage increases (read AAA article for more information).

ANF Federal Secretary, Lee Thomas, said the timing of the survey is a positive “coincidence” as the union had been planning to ask members this poignant question for some time now.

“[This survey] makes the is about continuing to make the case, that we have been making for a number of years now which is, of course, that the aged care wages gap needs to be fixed,” said Ms Thomas. 

“And the federal government has the responsibility to start fixing it.

“Certainly, the SACS case was an excellent victory for the Australian Services Union (ASU). There’s no taking away from that.

“The issue for us, of course, is that aged care nurses – 90 percent of whom are women – are also paid at a low level.

“[Our members] say they love the work they do and it is fulfilling …but sometimes people need to make choices about their family budgets and [this is where wage levels come in].

“So it’s now time for the federal government to turn its attention to aged care.”

According to the ANF, an additional $500 million of government funding, specific to aged care wages, is needed in order to bring the pay of nurses into order.

The success of the ASU’s pay equity claim is expected to set a precedent for other unions, representing similar low paid female dominated workforces, to follow.

Ms Lee said the ANF would “consider” making a similar pay equity claim for wage increases through Fair Work Australia, but nothing has yet been decided.

“Our federal executive has been considering the pay equity claim for some time,” she said.

“There will be further discussion about that. We haven’t ruled it out at this stage.

“A precedent has been set with this test case. Would that convert into a similar outcome for aged care workers? Well, I hope it would but of course there are no guarantees.

“We continue to discuss what the best mechanisms are for achieving [wage increases…] at an executive level and with members.”

But until a definite decision is made, Ms Thomas reaffirmed that the union will seek an increase in the wage levels of aged care nurses through aged care reform.

“The federal government has made a commitment to reforming aged care and what we are saying is that reform needs to start with the workforce.”

The ANF survey, which is currently online, will stay active for a few more weeks. Ms Thomas encouraged aged care nurses who have not yet participated, to get involved and have their say.

“This is a member driven survey…We genuinely want to know what people think.”

Once completed, the survey results will be forwarded to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler.

“It will be just one more piece of evidence we will submit to go to our case to say that wages reform must begin in 2012 and in part on wages.

“We have had a promise for reform directly from the PM. What we now need to see is action.”

To participate in the survey, click here.