MEDIA ALERT
Crisis in the South West: Workers in hospitals and schools stop work to demand fair pay
WHEN: 1:15 pm today for interviews, Wednesday 17 July.
WHERE: Collie Health Campus
WHAT: Hospital workers will stop work, and be joined by education assistants in Collie, to demand a fair pay rise from the WA Government. The stop work meeting will take place 1:30 pm – 2 pm.
United Workers Union members at Collie Health Campus and Collie schools stop work to demand the state government deliver a fair pay rise and a district allowance that meets the rising cost of living.
Quotes attributable to United Workers Union spokesperson Lisa Judge:
“Essential public sector workers in the South-West and Great Southern are skipping meals and medical appointments amidst the rising cost of living as the WA Government has not historically provided them the same support they give to other regional areas.
“Schools and hospitals don’t work without these workers. They play crucial roles in areas where access to healthcare and opportunities are already limited. They are doing it tough due to low wages, higher food and fuel costs and a crippling housing crisis.
“It used to be that the higher costs of regional living were off-set by lower rents. That’s just not the case anymore. The outcome is low-paid workers being pushed out of these towns.
“This is why Union members are standing together and taking action for a pay rise that meets the rising cost of living. It is time for the WA Government to step up and support these workers to keep essential services in Collie running.”
One of these members is Peta Allen. Peta’s dedication to her community shines through her 23 years of work in the crucial roles of cleaning, working in the kitchens, and as an orderly at Collie Hospital. She emphasises the pressing need for a wage increase, highlighting the rising costs of living in regional Australia.
Quotes attributable to Peta Allen, a Support Worker at Collie Hospital:
“Taking action means the government must listen to us and understand we need a wage rise now. Fuel, food, and electricity prices just keep going up and up. I walk to work which saves money on fuel, but I have three kids. Their participation in school sport alone costs more in the regions as they need to travel a lot further. A wage rise will bring the stress levels down, lighten the mental load and let me keep caring for the people of Collie.”
Quotes attributable to Michelle Duits, a Special Needs Education Assistant:
“I have been impacted by the housing crisis in the South West, particularly in Collie where I work as an Auslan Education Assistant, a position that requires sign language skills, which is not easy to come across in regional areas. My family and I have had to move a few times during my employment here due to rentals being sold. Towards the end of last year, we were facing homelessness and the very real possibility of having to move hundreds of kilometres away to ensure we had shelter. Fortunately, I secured a rental, but had I not been so lucky the student I support would have been impacted greatly by me having to resign. Please help us do our jobs and support our children, families, and communities.”
ENDS
Media Contact: 1300 898 633, [email protected]