Aged care workers will receive a pay bump of up to 28%, in a decision made by the Fair Work Commission today. Pay rises will range from 18% to 28%.
This will mean that Certificate III-qualified employees will receive a new rate of $1224 per week, or $63,643 a year.
The Commission has previously acknowledged that “work in feminised industries including care work has historically been undervalued and the reason for that undervaluation is likely to be gender-based”.
As of 2020, about 86% of the aged-care workforce was women.
Pay increase for aged care workers
The decision to give aged care workers a pay increase comes after a long-standing dispute between the Health Services Union and the Fair Work Commission.
The Commission awarded an interim (temporary) pay rise of 15% in 2022 while negotiations continued.
“This is one of the best outcomes this union has ever achieved,” Health Services Union secretary Gerard Hayes (pictured above) said in a press conference this afternoon.
It’s unclear when it will come into effect.
