In a new submission to the Fair Work Commission (FWC), the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) is seeking a further 35% pay increase for its Registered Nurses working in aged care.
The union has told the Fair Work Commission that it will provide further evidence to warrant “a benchmarking of the Registered Nurse Level 1, pay point 1, with the C1A of the Metals Framework”, the Award for Metals, Engineering and Associated Industries.
The ANMF submitted that a consequence of that decision would be “a 35% wage increase” for Enrolled Nurses, Registered Nurses and Nursing Practitioners under the Aged Care Award. The union also wants an additional 10% paid to Assistants in Nursing under the Aged Care Award.
The ANMF claims the breadth and depth of the staffing shortage in aged care is vast and persistent, despite the 15% interim award to direct care workers on 1 July after a ruling from the Fair Work Commission (FWC).
It laid out four reasons for further increases stating that “understaffing and associated increased workloads and work intensity in aged care is not transitory and will remain a permanent feature of the work”.
The Australian Government’s Department of Health and Aged Care has repeatedly refused to provide an indication of the current staffing levels in aged care despite requests from The SOURCE.
The United Workers Union (UWU) has called on the FWC to pay the 15% interim award given to direct care staff (nursing, personal care workers, head chefs and lifestyle assistants) to indirect care workers.
In addition, the UWU said it is “appropriate that a 25% wage increase be applied to all employees covered by the award”.
The claim is listed before FWC in November with four days set aside for hearings in December.
The SOURCE: Indirect workers still need to have a 15% interim increase backdated to 1 July. Will the Federal Government pay at least another 10% to all aged workers?
