Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today is Aged Care Employee Day, a day for all of us to say thank you to everyone in the aged-care workforce—personal care workers, allied health, drivers, nurses, cooks, cleaners, admin staff and so many others. However, we know that 'thank you' is just not enough because 'thank you' does not pay the bills. For too long, aged-care workers have been undervalued, have been underpaid and their skills have been unrecognised. We are committed to restoring dignity and trust in the sector and to supporting our essential aged-care workforce with good and secure jobs that they can count on. That is why this year we funded a 15 per cent wage increase for aged-care workers, over 90 per cent of whom are women, and this is long overdue. It has been fought for and campaigned for by aged-care workers and by their unions—the Health Services Union, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and the United Workers Union. When combined with the historic increase in minimum wage, some aged-care workers will see a pay bump of around 20 per cent. After years of neglect, this is no less than what these workers deserve.

Sara Murphy has seen her hourly rate go up from $24.76 to over $30, an amount she described as life-changing. For Anna Coltman, the increase means she will be able to finally get her car fixed. You just cannot understate how impactful this wage increase has been for these aged-care workers. They should be valued for their work and treated with respect every single day of the year. It is no less than they deserve and it is why I will always fight for them. But on this special day, to all aged care-workers: thank you.