Aged care workers in some of Australia’s largest aged care providers have voted in favour of going on strike amid widespread anger about the treatment of workers and aged care residents.
Thousands of aged care workers have warned their employer to address understaffing that leaves aged care residents distressed and frustrated, or employers will face imminent strike action.
“Aged care workers are being forced to take unprecedented strike action because of pay and conditions that are failing workers and failing residents,” United Workers Union Aged Care Director, Carolyn Smith, said today.
United Workers Union members at BlueCare, Queensland’s largest aged care provider and Southern Cross Care in SA, South Australia’s largest residential aged care provider, have voted in favour of strike action.
They join aged care workers in three other major aged care facilities – Anglicare in SA, Hall & Prior in WA and Churches of Christ in Queensland – who have voted to take industrial action to address the aged care crisis.
The providers have more than 7,000 aged care workers and care for about the same number of aged care residents.
The strike action will represent the first time aged care workers have taken national strike action in protest at their employer’s failure to address low rates of pay and inability to provide adequate staffing levels.
“Aged care workers are beside themselves with fatigue and they are emotionally exhausted by the distressed residents they see every single day,” Ms Smith said
