Media Release
23
June 2005
Report backs up what nurses already know
The
Senate Community Affairs Committee report Quality and equity
in aged care released today backs up what nurses have been
saying for a number of years, that there are not enough undergraduate
nursing places, and, that the Federal Government needs to implement
a mechanism to ensure nurses working in aged care are paid the
same as those working in the public sector.
The report: 'recommends that the Commonwealth further increase
the number of undergraduate nursing places at Australian Universities
to 1000 as recommended by the Hogan Review.' (Recommendation
1), and, 'That the Commonwealth consider implementing mechanisms
to ensure that the conditional payment aimed at restoring wage
parity for nurses, personal carers and other staff in the aged
care workforce is used to meet this aim.' (Recommendation 7)
'The ANF has been calling on the Federal Government for many
years to implement these strategies to ensure a strong nursing
workforce and decent standards of care,' ANF Federal Secretary
Jill Iliffe said.
'It takes three years to educate a registered nurse. The average
age of a nurse working in aged care in Australia is about 47
years which means the majority of those nurses will be contemplating
retirement over the next 10-15 years leaving a critical undersupply
of nurses in the future.
'There are plenty of people wanting to undertake nursing, but
just not enough places for them. Figures from the Australian
Vice Chancellors Committee showed that 2,716 eligible applicants
missed out on an undergraduate nursing place this year, about
20% of applicants.
'Minister Bishop said the $877.8 million conditional adjustment
payment for aged care in the 2004/05 budget would enable aged
care providers "to offer more competitive wages to nurses
and other staff" and that "the new payment will allow
providers to increase wages in line with demand in order to attract
and retain quality staff". There is absolutely nothing in
the Residential Care Subsidy Amendment Principles 2005 to compel
providers to do so,' Ms Iliffe said.
'The ANF has estimated it would cost around $600 million over
four years to bring the wages of nurses in aged care in line
with those working in the public sector. The government has responded
to nurses' calls for additional money in aged care to close the
wages gap, but until they implement a mechanism to ensure this
money actually goes toward nurses' wages it will just not happen.
'At a time when there is an acute shortage of nurses, why would
they work in aged care when they are going to be paid about $200
a week less?
'If this government is serious about the provision of quality
care for older people, care that is provided by appropriate skilled
staff, then a commitment to increasing the numbers of undergraduate
nursing places and closing the wages gap is critical.'
Disparity
in pay rates between the public sector and aged care
|
Public sector EB rates |
Aged care award rates | % difference | $ difference per week | |
|
|
||||
| Victoria | $ 930.10 | $784.20 | 18.6 % | $145.90 |
|
|
||||
| Northern Territory | $ 990.60 | $802.00 | 24.6% | $188.60 |
|
|
||||
| Tasmania | $ 975.59 | $773.30 | 26.2% | $202.29 |
|
|
||||
| Western Australia | $ 942.60 | $754.60 | 24.9% | $188.00 |
|
|
||||
| South Australia | $ 991.00 | $757.60 | 30.8% | $233.40 |
|
|
||||
| New South Wales | $1074.20 | $922.70 | 16.4% | $151.50 |
|
|
||||
| Queensland | $ 986.35 | $812.90 | 21.3% | $173.45 |
|
|
||||
| Australian Capital Territory | $1074.27 | $776.57 | 38.3% | $297.70 |
|
|
||||
| Australia | 25.14% | $197.60 | ||
|
|
||||
Source: Nurses Paycheck, Vol 4, No 1, December 2004-February 2005, Australian Nursing Federation 2005, Victoria.
The
ANF, representing 145,000 members, is the professional and industrial
voice for nurses in Australia.
Media
inquiries:
Jill Iliffe, ANF Federal Secretary: 0419 576 590
Ged Cowin, ANF Assistant Federal Secretary: 0417 053 322
Heather Witham, ANF Federal Communications Officer: 0417 359
907