Striking aged care workers are taking their fight into the heart of Brisbane today, demanding the Uniting Church-owned BlueCare treat them fairly.
Aged care workers will march in the city centre and stage a protest at BlueCare’s Ann St offices, as they enter their fourth week of strike action.
“Aged care workers are being forced to take unprecedented strike action as a result of pay and conditions that are failing workers and failing residents,” United Workers Union Aged Care Director Carolyn Smith said today.
“It says a lot about a lack of respect for aged care workers that this week BlueCare only offered their workers a miserable 2 per cent pay rise.
“The Uniting Church’s leaders clearly don’t care inflation is now running at 5 per cent and already low-paid workers would be left to go backwards.
“And BlueCare only wants to pay its pittance from December – with no back pay!”
Ms Smith said the low-ball offer from BlueCare was salt in the wound for BlueCare aged care workers.
“BlueCare’s aged care workers have endured a pay office stuff-up that dragged on for months and they have seen BlueCare executive pay leap by 30 per cent in the last annual report,” Ms Smith said.
“Aged care workers have turned up every day to care for residents while the Omicron wave still ravages facilities – yet they are shown no respect by BlueCare.”
Ms Smith said the strike at BlueCare – which is Queensland’s largest aged care provider caring for almost 3,500 aged care residents – occurred alongside strike actions in six other aged care providers in three states.
“Aged care workers are being pushed to breaking point by understaffing, impossible workloads and the emotional toll of not having enough time or support to provide the quality of care that residents require.
“Aged care workers are fighting for enough time to give the quality care that older Australians need and deserve.”
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