Fair Work Australia Says Give Support Workers A Fair-Go
16/05/2011
Kelly Vincent MLC welcomes a decision by Fair Work Australia (FWA) which has opened the door to higher wages for workers in the social and community sector.
“Paying this group, which includes disability support workers, a decent wage is the first step to creating a better quality of service in essential areas,” said Ms Vincent.
“Under the current structure we have good workers who are often lured out of the industry because the pay is comparatively poor.
“This makes it very hard for people with a disability to find good quality care.”
Fair Work Australia today handed down a 121-page decision which showed workers in the female –dominated social and community sector do not enjoy the same rates of pay as those doing comparable work in the government sector.
However, the body has asked for more information before it makes a move to address the pay-gap and is calling for more submissions.
Ms Vincent is encouraging all State and Local Governments to support the call for wage rises with a commitment to providing additional funding for organisations which operate on taxpayer money.
“I urge Governments to be generous. The short term pain of spending money will be richly recompensed by the long term improvements in the social and community services sector,” said Ms Vincent.
“After all this is a sector which can keep people off the streets, out of hospitals and help them be independent if it is well resourced. Achieving these socially desirable things will also ultimately save Governments money.”
