Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has promised to make a submission to Fair Work supporting a pay rise if it wins government but has not committed to a specific amount.
“It’s not up to us to determine what the wage rise is – it’s up to the Fair Work Commission – but we would make a positive submission and I’ve said that on a number of occasions,” Mr Albanese said in Perth this month.
Mr Hayes said Mr Albanese’s statements were “all nice fluffy stuff” but “it doesn’t commit to anything”.
“I need something to take to my membership to say that,if elected,Labor will support the outcome of the work value case and be able to fund it,” he said.
Labor’s aged care spokeswoman,Clare O’Neil,said workers were “clearly underpaid” and maintained her party’s commitment to lodge a submission in the wage case “to support the argument that aged care workers need to be paid more”.
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“Any determinations about funding will rely on the decision made by the independent umpire,Fair Work,and working with the aged care sector to deliver that decision will be a core responsibility for whoever is in government at the time,” Ms O’Neil said.
HSU national secretary Lloyd Williams,who was previously the secretary of Victorian sub-branch Health and Community Services Union,said while he saw positive language from Mr Albanese,he was yet to see a guarantee the sector would be funded.
“Gerard’s correct,we’re still waiting on the formal commitment,and we wait with anticipation,” Mr Williams said,adding the union wanted the opposition to go further than just submitting a statement endorsing the wage case in the Fair Work Commission.
“In terms of what we’ll do if we don’t get that policy statement,I’d rather leave that to see what happens,” Mr Williams said.
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Mr Hayes said the union’s contribution to Labor’s election campaign “would be resourcing on the ground,as well as a financial contribution,which would be in the vicinity of half a million[dollars].”
“But we need to understand very clearly,what is the likelihood of our members having their working lives enhanced,what is the likelihood of attracting and retaining people in the aged care system?” he said.
“This will not come again,we will not have another royal commission ... if we miss the boat now,this boat is not coming back.”
Mr Hayes was an influential figure in theexit of Jodi McKay and the instalment of Chris Minns as NSW Labor leader after the HSU cut its ties with the state opposition.
The union previously commissioned modelling that showed the cost of reform was between $2 billion and $20 billion over four years,and included improvements to the sector other than wages. It included only the rise of personal carer wages in that modelling.
Catholic Health Australia,who oversees other providers,has called on the government to overhaul visa restrictions so the sector canlook abroad to help stave off closure of homes.
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