Australians support pay rise for aged care workers

Nearly three in five Australians (59%) believe the government should fully fund higher wages for aged care workers, according to a poll conducted for The Sydney Morning Herald. The survey was run to gauge public support for the government’s new Industrial Relations laws, which were passed on 1 December. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised to fund the Fair Work Commission’s decision on higher wages for aged care workers, which on 4 November came in at 15%, although a further increase in the recommendation approaching 25% is expected.

“This 15 per cent increase will impact some 300,000 workers in the aged care sector. These are the heroes of the pandemic. They deserve more than just our thanks, they deserve a wage rise,” Albanese said the day after the decision.

The cost to the government of funding the interim increase is expected to be $1.9 billion, going to 320,000 aged care workers, according to StewartBrown. Aged care operators are facing serious challenges finding enough staff, in some cases being forced to leave beds empty. Higher wages could help attract more staff to work in the sector. Only 46% believed the government should support higher wages for childcare workers, revealing the high community regard for aged care workers.