Ms O’Neil said Labor wanted aged care workers to be properly paid,which did not mean “earning $60 or $70 an hour”.
Economic modelling commissioned by the Health Services Union estimates the 25 per cent pay rise it is seeking for 145,000 personal care workers in the Fair Work Commission would cost the federal government $2.2 billion to roll out over four years.
If the HSU’s case succeeds,minimum wages for personal care workers would rise by almost $6 an hour,from $23.67 to $29.58 – putting them on par with disability workers with the same qualifications.
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The $2.2 billion figure does not include a pay rise for aged care nurses or home care workers,also being considered by the commission,or the expansion of the aged care workforce needed to meet the government’s commitment to lift the average number of daily care minutes to 200 per resident by October 2023.
Unions are pushing for a larger increase in care minutes,including a requirement for a registered nurse to be on site 24 hours a day at all aged care homes.
Labor has promised to make a submission to the Fair Work Commission supporting a pay rise for aged care workers if it wins government but has not committed to a specific amount.