Nurses and carers will quit

AN ALARMING survey has revealed low-paid nursing and care workers will leave the aged care workforce unless the government urgently addresses the wages gap.

AN ALARMING survey has revealed low-paid nursing and care workers will leave the aged care workforce unless the government urgently addresses the wages gap experienced across the sector.

The Australian Nursing Federation launched the on-line survey of aged care workers last week as part of its national Because We Care campaign aimed at fixing Australia's under-resourced aged care sector.

Hundreds of aged care nursing and care staff are continuing to respond to the survey, which poses the question "Will you leave the aged care workforce if the Gillard Government does not close the wages gap?"

So far, results are showing a majority 77 per cent of aged care workers responded they would leave, 12 per cent were unsure if they would leave and 10 per cent said wouldn't leave.

ANF Federal Secretary, Lee Thomas although, the survey commenced only last week, there's an emerging pattern showing that low paid nursing and care staff in aged care are extremely concerned about the wages gap they're experiencing.

"How can the sector possibly expect to recruit the 20,000 extra nursing staff needed to meet the growing demand of Australia's ageing population if aged care nursing and care staff are being paid significantly less than what they would earn in other health settings," Ms Thomas said.

"The ANF and its growing membership are now seriously concerned that unless the Gillard government acts, we will simply have no workforce left to deliver quality care for the elderly Australians living in nursing homes."

The ANF is calling on the government to inject $500 million to close the wages gap in aged care by making Budget 2012 the "aged care Budget".

Ms Thomas said the ANF survey of aged care nursing and care staff will run for a month and the results will be sent directly to Prime Minister Gillard.

The ANF is now one of Australia's fastest-growing unions, with more than 214,000 members, including nurses, midwives, assistants in nursing and students.

For more information about the ANF's Because We Care campaign, go to www.becausewecare.org.au.

Originally published as Nurses and carers will quit