It’s always refreshing to see employers and unions on the same page about something – and the joint statement put forward for the Jobs and Skills Summit last week looks to be a sensible page for them to be on.
The eight-point statement is the product of this comity between the aged care sector – represented by Catholic Health Australia and Uniting NSW.ACT – and unions, including the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, United Workers Union, and Health Services Union, as well as advocacy groups such as the Benevolent Society and Aged Care Research and Industry Innovation Australia.
It lays out a series of largely common-sense reforms, including ensuring workers have affordable housing, implementing any recommendation from the Fair Work Commission on pay rises (which the Government has pledged to do anyway), and waiving or reimbursing fees including HECS for people who choose to work in aged care – moves that would benefit both workers and employers.
A statement like this shows why speaking with a unified voice is important – and why, once again, it was unfortunate that the peak aged care body, ACCPA, wasn’t invited to the summit. The weight of ACCPA behind it, as well as the faith-based bodies and the unions, would give it a greater chance of being heard, and we hope that the Association is invited to the table soon.
