Release date: 12 Nov 2020

ACSA CEO, Patricia Sparrow, has made the following statement in response to the Health Services Union's Work Value Application to the Fair Work Commission to vary the Aged Care Award.

Aged care workers are amongst the hardest working, passionate and caring in Australia.

Everyone knows aged care workers deserve far more pay. It’s an injustice that shouldn’t be tolerated but the system isn’t set up to recognise them properly.

In order to properly pay our workers, we need significant system change and investment. That is exactly what we are hoping will come from the Royal Commission. The government and parliament should build a non-partisan commitment to the big picture reform required.

The contribution aged care workers make is enormous and it simply isn’t recognised in both pay and community respect.