Caregiver Pay Case A Sector Funding Issue

Media release from NZ Aged Care Association

Caregiver Pay Case A Sector Funding Issue

The NZ Aged Care Association believes the Bartlett vs Terranova Equal pay court case is about the underfunding of the aged residential care sector.

“This case is not about Terranova and never has been. They are in the same position as everyone else and have done nothing wrong”, says Martin Taylor CEO of the NZ Aged Care Association.

This week the NZACA have signed a litigation funding agreement with Terranova. This agreement means NZACA is now directing the litigation from the defendant’s perspective.

“NZACA has been advocating for pay parity with public sector caregivers since 2005, and while we are defending the Terranova case, we are firmly committed to improving the situation for those who look after the vulnerable elderly” said Mr Taylor.

“Some may see defending this case is not consistent with supporting higher caregivers wages but they would be wrong. The reason we are defending the case is because no aged care provider can pay higher wages unless we are funded at a higher level. Wages going up without more funding would cause a crisis”.

“There is also a question on whether the Employment Court’s interpretation of the Equal Pay Act was right in law and whether the Courts are the appropriate place to effectively set government policy”.

“The importance of this case cannot be understated. It is not just about the viability of a whole sector, it is also about 35,000 caregivers and the 40,000 elderly they look after each year. It is also about the 100,000 plus family members who, like providers, want better pay for caregivers” says Mr Taylor.

ENDS

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