Pay increases welcomed in aged care sector

With International Women’s Day celebrated on March 8, the ACTU says women are now seeing real growth in their wages.  

Women in full-time work on the average wage have earned $7,800 more since Labor was elected than they would have under the policies of the Coalition according to new ACTU analysis released to coincide with International Women’s Day.

The data showed the boost in women’s wages under the Labor Government equated to an extra $2,800 on average per year for a full-time working woman.

Aged care nursing assistant Marta Frasca works in a 16-bed care facility at Killarney Vale.

She’s been in the sector for 23 years and has seen good pay improvements.

“I am very, very happy with the increased wages,” she said.

“With the cost-of-living increases, we needed the money.

“The increase in wages means I can pay my bills outright rather than instalments and I have money to spend on the grandchildren.

“The wage rises have been a big help for me, but I’m older, it’s much harder for the younger ones.

“The increases also mean our work is being acknowledged, that we in aged care are doing a bloody good job.

“We are the heart of aged care, it makes us feel empowered, it’s a good outcome.”

Her wage rises were a result of government-backed pay rises for the aged care sector.

“They were the biggest pay increases in my lifetime,” Frasca said.

“It’s a hard job and we deserve the pay rise.”

The increase in wages growth follows a range of Federal Government reforms to get wages moving.

These include Government backing for higher award and minimum wages to help manage cost-of-living pressures.

Nearly six in 10 workers on awards are women.

The Secure Jobs Better Pay reforms of 2022 expanded bargaining coverage, which has lifted wages for women covered by collective agreements and action to tackle the undervaluing of so-called ‘women’s work’.

This has led to record pay increases for workers in aged care and early childhood education and care, with pay boosts for health professionals and pharmacists, among other occupations, expected shortly.

Policies to help women stay connected to work – from stronger rights to requesting flexible working, such as work-from-home – and improved paid parental leave are also helping to lift women’s wages.

The Right to Disconnect laws have reduced unpaid overtime and new laws introduced in January to stop widespread wage theft will rein in wage under-payments.

“The change of government in May 2022 signalled an end to the wages’ stagnation of nine years under the Coalition,” ACTU President Michele O’Neil said.

She said nearly three years later, it was clear interventions by the Federal Government to deliver real wage growth are working.

“Without these changes made by the Government and action taken by unions, working women would be $7,800 worse off on average,” she said.

“Now wages are growing, and the gender pay gap shrinking it is critical these new wage settings and rights remain in place and are built upon.

“Women can’t afford to see real wages going backwards.

“Women can’t afford more insecure work, for public sector wage caps to come back and to lose lifts to aged care and early childhood education and care workers’ wages.

“They can’t afford to see their work being undervalued and underpaid.”