Thousands of nurses, working at for-profit aged care facilities, are demanding that employers improve their wages and career opportunities, especially after the Federal Government’s recent decision to make $1.2 billion available from 2013 for better wages, working conditions, career and training opportunities.
What do you think?
The owners of the 157 for-profit facilities are members of the Aged Care Association – NSW (ACAA-NSW) and their current enterprise agreement expires on 30 June, 2012.
Their nurses are seeking a new agreement, which includes a six percent annual pay rise and a range of improvements to workloads management, leave arrangements and the treatment of qualifications and experience.
Thirty-eight of the facilities are in regional NSW and employ more than 1000 nurses. The other 119 facilities are spread across Sydney and the central coast and employ more than 3000 nurses.
NSW Nurses Association (NSWNA) acting secretary Judith Kiejda said pay and conditions in the aged care sector continue to lag behind the hospital sector.
“All aged care employers have to do their bit to help achieve these better outcomes or the sector will continue to be plagued by staffing pressures and questions about the standard of care. Aged care cannot be allowed to become a sub-standard low-wage industry.
“The situation has become particularly serious for the NSW for-profit sector, which is now falling behind the charitable aged care sector in terms of pay. That is clearly not a desirable outcome. Average hourly pay rates at the moment are:
Public hospitals Charitable For-profit AC
Experienced registered nurse $37.47 $33.54 $32.06
Experienced enrolled nurse $26.14 $24.66 $23.23
Experienced assistant in nursing $21.04 $19.23 $18.94
“At those rates, an assistant in nursing caring for the frail aged is currently paid less than
many shop assistants. For example, a Coles retail assistant earns $19.05 an hour.
“The nurses know that now is the time to act to fix this pay injustice. So does the Federal Government and, hopefully, so do these for-profit employers.”
What do you think? Leave your comments below!
Image credit: Employee of the Month via google images and aged care image via NSWNA
I just read the story about AINs who are paid less than shop assistants. It is really very true. I previously worked as a shop assistant in a takeaway shop and I was paid $20.53 an hour. Now, I am working as an AIN in a for profit age care and I’m only get paid $17.85 an hour. I am an overseas nurse with four years hospital experience in a tertiary hospital and currently studying nursing again in a University here in NSW. And I am now a 2nd year student, and I find it unfair to get paid for just $17.85 an hour especially when we do more hard work because we are always understaffed. I am assigned in a high care unit with 30 residents, with only 4 AINs but frequently with 3 AINs working only. I find it very exhausting especially in the morning because it is the busiest shift of the day where residents need to be showered and changed, tidy up rooms and beds and change bed sheets, get them ready for breakfast at 8am, put them in the toilet, clean up the mess in the bathroom after each residents are showered or toileted, served food and feed them, collect trays and clean up the table after each meals, bring the soiled linen and rubbish down to the laundry and bin, plus every now and then some of them will want to go to the toilet or need to be toileted and need to repositioned and pad change, do observations (vital signs check), fill up and do paper works, and if there is no kitchen staff available we also do the kitchen staff job (serve food, wash the dishes, clean up the kitchen area, etc… and still after do the nursing job)…can you imagine how the AIN worked from 6:30am-2pm??
As an AIN we dont walk, we always almost run to give our residents the quality care they deserve and we the AINs after each shift have always an aching back. It’s very hard work, and I always felt like crying when I get home because I’m so tired. And for those who never worked as an AIN, there’s no way you will understand what we are going through. We get hit, punch, kick and verbally abused by some residents…but still we continue to work and care for these people.. because if we don’t, who else will care for them?
So, do you think this is fair?
I guess that is why they are called “for profit organizations,” you need to earn less so that they make a bigger profit. If I were you I would go back to the takeaway shop and reap the rewards.
As a registered nurse with a lot of years in aged care, I cannot speak too highly of our personal care assistants, or whatever their title. You are the very backbone of our service, & the love & dedication you show is beyond belief, inspirational. Every day I work I am thankful for your support, the kindness & warmth & good humour you show the residents, & your generosity in what you give to the people you care for & to the staff you work with. You are shamefully poorly paid, but you have nothing but admiration from me.