In a submission to the Fair Work Commission, the Labor Government has argued for a delay in paying wage increases to nurses in the aged care sector. The government has pointed to a lack of allocated funding for the increases and wants to institute a new timeline that would see nurses in aged care waiting until October 2027 to received the full increase.
As stated by Senator Barbara Pocock:
"What we see here is a Labor Government reneging on a promise to lift nurses wages immediately to compensate for historical underpayment and provide relief from cost-of-living pressures.
"I see a treasurer who is suddenly faced with a big deficit looking to kick the can down the road after making promises to bring more equity into a low-paid, highly feminised industry. These nurses have been waiting too long already for recognition of the valuable work they do, and they deserve a pay rise on 1st January as set out in the Fair Work Commission's schedule.
"Labor needs to decide whether it's looking after workers or trying to deliver a surplus on the back of a broken promise to some of our hardest working nurses.
"Labor is now worried about the fiscal impacts of this wage rise and its flow-on effects but lifting wages for low paid workers should be the highest priority for any Labor Government. With a big decline in the corporate tax take looming, the focus should be on getting companies to pay their fair share of tax rather than asking underpaid workers to take a hit.
"The government has cited the risk of creating staff shortages in the hospital sector if the timing of the increases is not delayed but the opposite is also true. Putting off the full increase until late 2027 could lead to aged care nurses leaving the sector in droves.
"This could be a make-or-break issue for a Government heading into an election in a cost-of-living crisis. It's about delivering fair wages and honouring your promises and workers particularly in low-wage and feminised industries will be watching very closely.
"If Jim Chalmers is prepared to throw nurses under the bus for the sake of reducing the deficit, he'll be sending a dangerous message to the electorate."
