Maribyrnong aged care workers face uncertain future
A northwest council has decided to outsource its aged care services, putting at least 60 jobs at risk.
North West
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About 60 jobs are up in the air and the future of aged care services in the northwest is unclear after Maribyrnong Council announced today it would outsource its services to a non-profit organisation.
The council is tight-lipped on who the new provider will be, waiting until neighbouring Hobsons Bay Council makes a decision on the services, which could be up to three weeks away, the Leader understands.
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ASU branch secretary Lisa Darmanin said officers told staff they would be able to work for the new provider under the same work and pay conditions, but only until 2020, when the contact could be changed. About 60 aged care workers were told their jobs were not secure, she said.
Ms Darmanin told the Leader Maribyrnong councillors had ignored the needs of older people by choosing to walk away from in-house aged care.
“The high regard in the community for council in-home aged care services is solely due to the outstanding home care workers at councils,” she said.
A joint tender process was undertaken by Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay councils to choose a company that would provide employment under the same conditions for council employees.
Maribyrnong Mayor Martin Zakharov said the council was “committed to minimising change and maintaining both quality and continuity of care”.
COUNCIL MEETING PROTEST
The decision follows a protest at last night’s Maribyrnong Council meeting where question time had to be extended three times to allow residents and staff to voice their concerns over the imminent decision.
When question time closed, protesters drowned out councillors discussing the council agenda chanting, “Don’t you dare, cut aged care”, until they were escorted from the Footscray Town Hall by security.
State and federal Labor MPs sent a letter to both councils last week, urging them not to outsource home care given the likelihood of a Labor government after this year’s federal election.
The letter said residents were concerned contracting out the services would “lead to poorer care outcomes for vulnerable community members”.
“We are also concerned that such a move may negatively impact the predominantly female workforce currently delivering this much-loved service,” the letter said.
Both councils had begun the tender process to subcontract aged care due to insecure funding after 2020.
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