AGED care workers, family members and unions are calling on Labor to deliver on it's promises for the sector, should the party win the upcoming federal election.
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At a rally organised by federal Bendigo Labor MP Lisa Chesters on Wednesday, community members expressed their frustration at the federal government's inaction following the Royal Commission into Aged Care.
Despite the Royal Commission recommending a wage increase in February, the federal government has not made a submission to the Fair Work Commission to implement the recommendation.
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A case brought forward by the Health Services Union and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation is currently under consideration by Fair Work.
However, the federal government has not backed the case, rather, in last week's budget it announced a $49.5 million subsidy for 15,000 vocational education and training places for those who are already in or are looking to enter the aged care sector.
In opposition leader Anthony Albanese's budget-reply speech on Thursday he outlined Labor's $2.5 billion plan for aged care, pledging around-the-clock nurses for aged care homes, better food and safer conditions for residents as well as higher pay for workers.
Now, with an election to be called any day, federal Labor members across the country are keen to bring the aged care crisis to the forefront of voters' minds.
"Even when we are fully staffed the ratios are shocking," he said, "but that's so rare, we are probably only fully staffed two days a week."
Mr Lovecraft said the risks posed by an understaffed workforce were significant.
"There's the big ones like residents not being showered, not being cared for," he said, "some residents sitting in their own faeces, that stuff is awful to see."
"As long as I've worked in aged care all the issues have boiled down to staff ratios."
For Mr Lovecraft, the reality of working in a "broken" system has meant he's had to reconsider his career path.
"Is someone going to fall? Is something worse going to happen?
"I cannot tell you the last time I finished a shift on time - ask any nurse or aged care worker, they'll tell you it doesn't happen."
Also present at Wednesday's rally was National Health Services Union (HSU) secretary Lloyd Williams.
Mr Williams said focusing this election on aged care was important given the current climate.
"We have seen years of neglect by the Morrison government and we don't see any plan from that government to change aged care," he said.
The HSU secretary said wage lifts and minimum staff mandating was necessary for recruitment and retention of critical staff.
Should the Fair Work case for increased wages follow the Royal Commission's recommendations, workers' pay would be lifted from $22 per hour to $29.
"Whilst it's significant, it's not a high wage for the work those workers do," he said.
Mr Williams is cautiously confident the Labor party would deliver on last week's promise to the sector.
"It's a very public election promise and it's very important that political parties are held to account," Mr Williams said.
"We are pretty confident the Labor party will deliver."
The Fair Work case has been before the Commission since 2020 and is expected to hand down its decision later this year.
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