Call to protect disability services with rally in Bendigo | VIDEO

CRIES for Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan to protect disability care could be heard outside her office on Thursday.

But the state government remained resolved to roll out “a better system for people with disabilities.”

Public disability services workers and their union staged a mock auction in Hargreaves Mall, highlighting their concerns about the potential privatisation of public disability services. 

They then marched to Ms Allan’s office.

Reduced leave, lower qualifications, shorter shifts and lower wages were among the workers’ worries.

They were also concerned casualised services would lead to poorer outcomes for their clients.

“Many of the people that live in our services don’t have family available to support them,” protester Jennifer Evans said.

“Many who do have very elderly parents or family members that are exhausted after years of fighting for decent services.

“I think the advocacy the Health and Community Services Union and its members provide is really important to the clients and the services.”

With the threat of privatisation and the introduction of the NDIS, Ms Evans has opted for early retirement. 

“My big fear is that the most vulnerable people - those people who cant speak for themselves, and require a high level of support to be able to be part of the community - won’t have adequate support moving forwards unless the pricing structure for staffing under the NDIS is significantly reviewed,” she said.

As a house supervisor in Bendigo, Michael Clarke has seen firsthand the anxiety associated with the prospect of privatisation for residents. 

“To think they’re not going to have the carers they’ve had for the last 20 – 30 years is causing massive stress to them,” he said. 

“Also my staffing group - the stress it’s causing not knowing whether they’re going to have basically a full-time job when this happens, that is a big concern.”

He called on Ms Allan and premier Daniel Andrews to honour their pre-election promises not to privatise the sector.

The Health and Community Services Union believes inadequate NDIS pricing for services to be the cause of the problem.

“The Andrews Government's response is the wrong one,” state secretary Lloyd Williams said.

“They shouldn't be hand-balling responsibility for people with profound disabilities to cut costs."

Minister for Housing, Disability and Ageing Martin Foley said the union had the right to make its concerns known.

“However, like any big reform there are many challenges we need to respond to,” he said.

“The Victorian Government will continue liaising with the relevant unions about workforce issues like quality and standard, training opportunities and professionalising the sector and the delivery of fair conditions throughout transition.”