Alliance says sleepover pay must be supported

Alliance says sleepover pay must be supported

Alliance Party media release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday 4 September 2009

The Alliance Party says sleepover pay for community service workers in residential care facilities is being blocked by employers and lack of Government funding.

Alliance Party disabilities spokesperson Chris Ford says if the organizations who employ these workers care at all about their workers or the people they provide services for, they need to change their attitude.

"Employers would be well advised to stop paying lawyers to try to find ways around paying the minimum wage of $12.50 an hour for sleepovers on top of the usual pay that workers get for working the awake part of their very long shifts."

All organizations providing residential care for people with illnesses or disabilities are publicly funded, so the Government has a responsibility to provide the funding to pay workers a decent wage.

Mr Ford says these working conditions would not be tolerated in any other sector.

"They have only come about because of lack of regard for people who work in the sector and because historically it was seen as ‘charity work’."

He says paying the minimum wage for sleepovers has the potential to greatly improve the lives of both the workers and the people being cared for.

"The pay and working conditions have long been a significant factor in the difficulties the sector has in attracting and retaining quality ‘hands on’ workers."

"The standard of care depends on the skills of its ‘hands on’ workers."

Mr Ford says credit must be given to the Service and Foodworkers Union (SFWU) and Council of Trade Unions for vigorously pursuing this issue in the Employment Courts.

ENDS

© Scoop Media