Unions slam Scott Morrison’s announcement of two $400 bonus payments for aged care workers

Scott Morrison’s $800 bonus for some workers has been attacked as ‘cheap and nasty’ with warnings it will not fix a major crisis.

Unions have launched a scathing attack on Scott Morrison’s pledge to provide $800 in bonus payments to aged care staff.

The Prime Minister’s plan has been labelled a “denial of reality” with the government urged to “grow up”.

The $209m announcement will be made in Mr Morrison’s National Press Club address on Tuesday and comes after Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese committed to boosting aged care funding at the weekend.

It will involve two payments of $400, to be paid pro rata on hours worked.

The first $400 payment will be made this month, with the second $400 handout to be given out by early May to acknowledge the increasing challenges from Covid.

“Of course none of our health outcomes would be possible without the hard work, long hours and dedicated care offered by our frontline health and aged care workforce,” Mr Morrison is expected to say in his address.

“That’s why I am announcing today the government is providing a further $209m to support the aged care workforce to continue to care for older Australians through the pandemic.”

But Health Services Union national president Gerard Hayes said the payment was a pre-election political strategy.

Mr Hayes said it was not a sustainable or serious plan to fix the chronic underpayment of the nation’s most deserving workers.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce two $400 bonus payments. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

“We have a sustained crisis that has been brewing for years – yet all we get is more short term political management, more kicking the can down the road, more denial of reality,” Mr Hayes said.

“When will this government grow up?

“Mr Morrison’s latest ploy is cheap and nasty. We’re into our third year of this pandemic, and an exhausted aged care workforce is barely holding on.”

United Workers Union aged care director Carolyn Smith welcomed the announcement, but called for the government to go further.

“The aged care industry is at an absolute breaking point, and I am not sure these bonuses will fix the systemic issues in the industry,” Ms Smith said.

“Aged care workers are struggling with low pay, understaffing and the poor rollout of Covid-19 response by Scott Morrison. The fact that workers are still not receiving regular RATs and adequate PPE is indicative of the federal government’s failure in this area.

“Although we do welcome Scott Morrison’s admission that aged care wages needed to be substantially improved, something we have been saying for a long time now.”

The payments will amount to $209m.

This latest bonus will be in addition to previous ones announced by the federal government, including three $800 payments to direct care workers in residential aged care or $600 for home care staff, announced in 2020.

“This is a responsible commitment that builds on the $393m provided over three payments to 234,000 aged care workers earlier in the pandemic,” the Prime Minister will say.

Mr Morrison’s announcement comes amid a looming case before the Fair Work Commission to lift more than 200,000 aged care workers’ pay by 25 per cent.

Launched by the Health Services Union, it would mean a pay rise of at least $5 an hour if the industrial tribunal decides to vary the award.

“If the Commonwealth was serious about dealing with this problem, it would support the HSU case for a 25 per cent wage rise,” Mr Hayes said.

“Until it does, aged care workers will vote with their feet and keep leaving the industry.

“Why would you earn as little as $21 an hour for physically and emotionally demanding work when you can earn more stacking shelves?”

Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten said it was insulting that aged care workers could “earn more at Bunnings”.

“I am happy for the Bunnings workers, but we have to treat the aged care workers better,” he told the Nine Network.

“If Mr Morrison was more fair dinkum, he would turn up at the Fair Work Commission … and support increases to the base rate per hour.

“If we don’t do that we will see a flight of aged care workers into hospitality and retail.

“Increase the base rate and the sugar hits won’t be necessary.”

Staff in aged care have been under increasing pressure from Covid. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Nicholas Eagar

Mr Albanese had on Sunday called for the government to support the aged care pay rise.

“Aged care funding needs to be increased,” he told ABC’s Insiders.

“Will you go further?” host David Speers asked.

“Yes,” Mr Albanese said.

“We still don’t have a commitment to increase wages and conditions so that aged care facilities are able to attract the staff.

“So I’ll tell you one thing we would do right now: there’s a case before the Fair Work Commission for an increase in wages for aged care staff.

“The federal government should be making a submission to that, to the commission, supporting an increase in wages.”