08 October 2023
Originally published on Women's Agenda
Teresa is an aged care worker. Her job, like thousands more aged care workers, is to look after Australia’s elders in the final years of their lives.
She’s exactly the kind of person we would all want looking after our loved ones. Teresa has built 20-year relationships with some of her clients who rely on her for their health, safety and dignity.
100 days ago, she started receiving an extra $400 in her salary. This extra money has meant she no longer has to choose between paying her mortgage or visiting her four-year-old grandchild Jade in Queensland. Visits she previously could not afford.
And it’s not just Teresa – more than 250,000 aged care workers across the country saw their wages go up.
That’s because 100 days ago, the Albanese Government delivered a historic 15 per cent pay increase for these workers thanks to the Fair Work Commission and the 2023 Federal Budget.
It’s on the back of years of hard work and campaigning by these workers and their unions.
It’s the largest-ever wage increase the sector has seen. And when combined with the minimum wage increase, some workers saw their pay increase by 20 per cent.
