Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, said the Federal Government’s new Labour Agreements showed its "ambitions for aged care”.

The Weekly SOURCE called it a “stop-gap” measure: “The workforce shortages are likely to remain acute across personal care and nursing roles – particularly in regional and remote areas.”

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has now revealed that only five Labour Agreements have been struck since the policy was announced with great fanfare by the Minister and Department of Home Affairs. 

Aged care providers, employer groups, and the body representing nurses fear the new Aged Care Labour Agreements, which require providers to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOA) with unions, are putting aged care workers under pressure to join unions, The Australian reported.

The Government said the agreements would help address the sector’s crippling worker shortages and meet new Registered Nurse and care minute targets, by providing fast-tracked immigration processing.
 
Curtin Heritage Living and TLC Healthcare were early recipients of the Agreements. 

Australian College of Nursing Chief Executive Kylie Ward told The Australian the process is “fundamentally flawed”. 

“Australia is a democratic country and nobody should be forced into signing up to a union if they don’t want to,” she said. 

Aged Care Industry Association Chief Executive Peter Hoppo said, “I know this step has raised concerns among providers, and I hope it doesn’t hinder our efforts to recruit the overseas personnel we desperately need for sustainable aged care.”

The SOURCE: Twice we have asked the Department of Health for staffing levels and twice it has declined.