Breaking News: New research shows that 12,000 essential jobs in essential frontline community services could be lost if Equal Pay is not funded by the federal government past December.
Hundreds of ASU members and frontline community workers from around the country met online and heard from Dr Jim Stanford from The Australia Institute's Centre For Future Work on brand new research about the impact on our sector.
The research shows that if we do not Save Equal Pay:
• 12,000 frontline jobs in community services to go
• Pay could drop by $15,000 per year per worker, via restructuring/outsourcing
• All the gains made in closing the gender pay gap in our sector in the last 10 years will be reversed
We can stop these cuts if we Save Equal Pay.
Catch up here if you missed Dr Jim Stanford's presentation.
Read more in the Sydney Morning Herald article 'Community workers in limbo amid funding uncertainty'.
You can also listen to ASU Secretary Natalie Lang on ABC Radio here (starts at 4:15 minutes).
Social and community services are essential services. We have helped carry Australia through the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the most vulnerable people in our communities and our services have been in higher demand than ever. We deserve to be valued and respected.
Our organisations rely on Government funding to pay the Equal Pay wages ASU members fought for and won back in 2012. But the Federal Government has not committed to fund our Equal Pay wages beyond December this year. Because of this, our sector faces a massive funding shortfall of over $570 million which could see 12,000 jobs lost or massive cuts to our pay.
The Federal Government can fix this in its Federal Budget in October. We need your help to Save Equal Pay.
Sign the petition at www.saveequalpay.com
During COVID-19 the Liberals have quite rightly called these workers heroes. But the Libs need to mean what they say - we must pay these community workers properly. @nataliemlang @asu_nsw_act @ASUnion https://t.co/zGlszOYDbI
— Tanya Plibersek (@tanya_plibersek) September 8, 2020
I'm online right now with 400 mbrs of my union @ASUnion from across the country to discuss the fight to preserve pay equity in community services. Here's our report on what will happen if the Commonwealth govt doesn't confirm continued support https://t.co/PWtjyHMjkU @asu_nsw_act
— Jim Stanford (@JimboStanford) September 8, 2020
Wages funding in community srvs sector dried up & govt hasn't agreed to replenish. These ppl support most vulnerable rn; refuges, homeless shelters, youth srvcs. @JimboStanford finds alarming 12,000 jobs at risk. More income & job loss for women! @ASUnionhttps://t.co/xr56JhUrq1
— Alison Pennington (@ak_pennington) September 8, 2020
Hundreds of frontline workers came together today to hear about the impact of pay equity for community sector (and the real people that rely on our services). Governments MUST support the workers that support our community@servicesunion @asu_nsw_act @ASUnion @CntrFutureWork pic.twitter.com/I2rH1ur2yv
— James Farrell (@_JamesFarrell) September 8, 2020