Disability advocates demand wage increases to retain workforce
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As the aged care and childcare sectors benefit from recent 15% wage increases, leading disability advocates are raising alarms over the lack of similar support for disability workers. This disparity threatens to worsen workforce shortages in the disability sector, potentially leaving Australians with disabilities without adequate care.
Despite the critical role of disability support workers, their wages lag behind those in comparable sectors, such as aged care and childcare. With nearly 1.4 million Australians requiring assistance with daily activities due to severe or profound disabilities, the need for a stable and well-compensated workforce is urgent.
Spinal Life Australia CEO Mark Townend says there needs to be measures introduced to support and incentivise disability workers to join and stay in the industry. “The Government should immediately take action to reconsider its position on salary levels for workers in the disability sector,” Townend said. He emphasised that not-for-profit organisations, which are already struggling to meet the needs of Australians with disabilities, are being unfairly relied upon to fill the gap.
Townend also highlighted the challenges faced by not-for-profits in competing with for-profit sectors that have received wage boosts. “We aren’t militant and try to work collaboratively but are now getting sick and tired of the Minister and Treasurer continually taking advantage of the sector’s cooperative approach,” he said.
“We will have less and less staff coming to and staying in the industry, and this will lead to poorer and poorer outcomes for people with disability and the closure of or exit from the industry of long-established not-for-profit agencies – making the Government’s job even more difficult in the long-term.”
The wage disparity is particularly concerning as more than half of childcare workers are employed by for-profit organisations, where increased salaries may benefit shareholders rather than reinvest in the sector.
Spinal Life Australia, along with other advocates, continues to push for fair wages and better support for disability workers to prevent further staff shortages and ensure quality care for Australians living with disabilities.
