ANMF federal secretary Annie Butler said on March 1 that a succession of federal governments have “done nothing” to address the ever-increasing shortages of registered nurses and qualified carers working in the sector. She said this means that elderly residents have been “made to suffer”.
The ANMF said the government’s “immediate response” of $452 million in public funds to be tied to providing better care. Given the billions of taxpayer dollars aged-care providers receive annually, the lack of transparency must be rectified, it said.
After a two-year inquiry, involving more than 10,000 submissions and 23 public hearings, the commission produced a 1000-page final report.
Last modified on Thu 4 Mar 2021 11.32 EST
Unions and aged care experts are outraged that the royal commission into the sector has not recommended a clear path away from the “overcasualisation” of the system’s workforce, warning the extra time residents are set to receive with carers will ultimately feel “transactional” and detrimental to dementia sufferers if providers can still rely on labour hire agencies.
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is mostly optimistic that key recommendations on training, skills and daily minutes of care per resident made on Monday would, if adopted by the Morrison government, boost the number of carers at residential facilities and lift wages across the traditionally underskilled, underpaid and exhausted workforce.
The union peak body has urged the Treasurer to block the sale of a controlling stake in CBA’s superannuation business, with fears the transaction will set a troubling precedent for sector. The Austr
Small business groups and unions strike deal to give part-timers in retail extra hours without penalty rates
Westfield shopping centre in Doncaster, Victoria. Source: AAP.
The Council of Small Business Groups Australia (COSBOA) and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) are jointly supporting changes to the retail award, which would allow 1.2 million part-time employees to work extra shifts without receiving penalty rates.
The agreement to change the
General Retail Industry Award was first struck between the peak retail union, the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, and Master Grocers Australia, which represents independent grocers, and now has the backing of both COSBOA and the ACTU.