20 March 2023
In February, the Fair Work Commission Full Bench in the Work Value cases handed down its decision to increase the respective award rates for direct care workers, amongst others, by 15% from 30 June 2023.
Insofar as the decision relates to ANMF members, direct care workers have been defined as:
- Personal care workers who are covered – or would, but for the existence of an enterprise agreement, be covered – by the Aged Care Award 2010.
- Nurses who are covered – or would, but for the existence of an enterprise agreement, be covered – by the Nurses Award 2020.
Further, we note the stated position of the Federal Government is to fully fund the cost to employers of this increase, including associated on costs.
“We are calling on employers to pass on, in full, any additional funding they receive in response to the Work Value case, to the staff for whom the funding is intended; that is, in the case of our members, personal care workers and nurses working within your organisation,” said CEO/Secretary Adj Associate Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM.
We will keep members updated on the responses received from aged care providers in relation to this matter and continue to push to ensure all extra funding is passed on.