09 February 2005

Aged Care Sector Looks for Budget Boost

Unions are expecting more funding in this year’s Budget for better care for older people and to improve the training and pay for the workers who look after them, Council of Trade Unions president Ross Wilson said today.

Aged care workers who are members of the NZ Nurses Organisation and the Service and Food Workers Union have begun a postcard campaign to the Prime Minister calling for increased funding for aged care in Budget 2005.

“Unions are active in the Government’s working party that’s been set up to look at improving both the aged care and disability support sectors,” Ross Wilson said. “We expect one outcome of its work will be greater Budget funding.”

Fair pay in the aged care sector was also a pay equity issue as the caregivers, support workers and nurses were mainly women doing under-valued caring work, he said.

“Unions want to ensure that Government funding goes to where it will make a difference for older people – that is by improving wages and conditions to attract and keep well-trained workers.”

ENDS

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