AWU calls for Blue Care workers to be redeployed in Bundaberg

The Australian Workers Union has stepped in following the shock closure of a Bundaberg aged care home, with its 48 staff members now left in the lurch.

The AWU has called for Blue Care to redeploy staff from its closing Millbank Village facility locally.

The Australia Workers Union is calling on Blue Care to ensure workers at its Millibank aged care home are redeployed in Bundaberg following revelations will close, leaving its residents and staff in the lurch.

The call from the AWU follows Blue Care’s confirmation on Monday, April 3 that it will close the facility.

While Blue Care stated arrangements would be made for the 48 workers currently employed at the facility, the AWU is concerned that workers will suffer cuts to their hours or will lose their jobs altogether if the company does not commit to redeploying them in the Bundaberg region without loss of income.

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Blue Care has two other aged care facilities in Bundaberg, the Pioneer facility in Bundaberg Central and the Riverlea facility in Millbank.

“We are calling on Blue Care to commit to redeploying all affected staff to other local facilities should they choose to be,” AWU district secretary Tony Beers said.

“In a time when local aged care workers’ workloads are already stretched to the limits, it makes no sense for Blue Care to not step in now and commit to protecting local aged care jobs and their existing hours.

“Closure of Blue Care’s Millbank Aged Care Facility in Bundaberg will no doubt have a stressful impact on both the aged care workers and its residents.

“There are residents who have been told Millbank is their home and now they need to go through the stress of being essentially evicted from that facility and placed into another.

Blue Care, which is owned by Uniting Care, cited Covid-19 and ongoing pressures surrounding health care as contributing factors to the closure of the 40-resident Millibank facility.

“This will be a stressful time for both our members working in the industry and for the Bundaberg community more broadly.”

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Blue Care, which is owned by Uniting Care, cited Covid-19 and ongoing pressures surrounding health care as contributing factors to the closure of the 40-resident facility.

In response, Uniting Care said that redeployment to other services within or nearby the Bundaberg region would be an option provided to Millibank staff.

“We will work with our staff impacted by the closure to ensure they are supported throughout the transition process,” a Uniting Care spokesperson said.

“This will include options such as redeployment to other services within the region and surrounds according to each staff members individual circumstances.”

Blue Care began relocating residents of the Millbank Village from March 21.