The industrial and professional organisation for nurses and midwives in Australia
Canberra Office (Professional Services)
Unit 3, 28 Eyre Street Kingston ACT 2604
Australia
PO Box 4239 Kingston ACT 2604 Australia
+ 61 2 6232 6533 (T) + 61 2 6232 6610 (F)
anfcanberra@anf.org.au
Melbourne Office (Industrial Services)
Level 1, 365 Queen Street Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
+ 61 3 9602 8500 (T) + 61 3 9602 8567 (F)
industrial@anf.org.au
anfmelbourne@anf.org.au
ANF Journals
Australian Nursing Journal
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing
anj@anf.org.au ajan@anf.org.au
ABN 41 816 898 298
media release
Landmark pay equity report highlights double jeopardy of
caring for the elderly.
Nurses are experiencing a double-barrel of discrimination through both the gender
wage gap and their employment in the Government-funded aged care sector, a new
Federal Government report has found.
Australian Nursing Federation Federal Secretary Ged Kearney has applauded the
pay equity report Making it Fair, released yesterday, which acknowledges the
inequality experienced by nurses, especially those in the aged care sector.
The report highlights the continuing gap in wages between women and men and
repeatedly points to the aged care sector as an example of ingrained and sustained
discrimination.
“Despite the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission in 1972 granting
men and women the same minimum wage, for many women equal pay is not a
reality,” she said.
“I applaud the report’s findings that action needs to be taken to improve wages and
conditions for aged care nurses whose work is largely undervalued despite their
expertise.”
The report urges relevant ministers including Minister for Finance, Lindsay Tanner, to
act on the dire situation in aged care:
“There was a great deal of evidence presented that went to the situation of women
employed in the aged care sector…. it is clear that action needs to be taken to
improve wages and conditions…I am aware of the dependence on the Australian
government for the funding of this sector. I urge the responsible Ministers… to look at
how we can responsibly increase the funding for wages in this sector.” Writes
Sharryn Jackson MP and Chair in the foreword.
The industrial and professional organisation for nurses and midwives in Australia
Canberra Office (Professional Services)
Unit 3, 28 Eyre Street Kingston ACT 2604
Australia
PO Box 4239 Kingston ACT 2604 Australia
+ 61 2 6232 6533 (T) + 61 2 6232 6610 (F)
anfcanberra@anf.org.au
Melbourne Office (Industrial Services)
Level 1, 365 Queen Street Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
+ 61 3 9602 8500 (T) + 61 3 9602 8567 (F)
industrial@anf.org.au
anfmelbourne@anf.org.au
ANF Journals
Australian Nursing Journal
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing
anj@anf.org.au ajan@anf.org.au
ABN 41 816 898 298
“Aged care is staffed predominantly by women who are paid less than their
counterparts with comparable skills and qualifications,” Ms Kearney from the ANF
said.
“The ANF - through the Because We Care campaign – has been calling for aged
care nurses to receive wages and career opportunities that reflect their education,
value to the community and hard work.”
“This is vital when pegged beside our rising aging population who are relying on
nurses to care for them in their final years.”
“Caring for the elderly should not translate into less pay and more work as is the
current reality.”
“Nurses in the aged care sector are paid up to $300 less than other nurses. This
coupled with an unreasonable workload has seen a 23 per cent decrease in the
number of registered nurses and 11 per cent in enrolled nurses in aged care since
2003.”
“We urge the Federal Government to consider the findings in the report and increase
funding to the sector in the 2010 Federal budget. This funding must also be
transparent to ensure it reaches nurse pay packets and is adequate to ensure fair
and reasonable pay,” Ms Kearney said.
Background
Australia today has some 2,800 residential aged care facilities providing care to more than
160,000 elderly people, 70 per cent of whom receive high-level care and 55 percent of whom
are 85 years of age or older.
By 2020 the number of residents is projected to reach more than 250,000 - a 56 percent
increase.
And the highest area of growth will be among residents aged 95 or over who will need the
highest level of care we can give them.
The high-care proportion of residential aged care is going to need to almost triple in the next
25 years to keep up with demand.
The industrial and professional organisation for nurses and midwives in Australia
Canberra Office (Professional Services)
Unit 3, 28 Eyre Street Kingston ACT 2604
Australia
PO Box 4239 Kingston ACT 2604 Australia
+ 61 2 6232 6533 (T) + 61 2 6232 6610 (F)
anfcanberra@anf.org.au
Melbourne Office (Industrial Services)
Level 1, 365 Queen Street Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
+ 61 3 9602 8500 (T) + 61 3 9602 8567 (F)
industrial@anf.org.au
anfmelbourne@anf.org.au
ANF Journals
Australian Nursing Journal
Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing
anj@anf.org.au ajan@anf.org.au
ABN 41 816 898 298
The Because We Care campaign is aimed at raising awareness and recognition of Australia's
highly skilled and dedicated aged care nursing and care workforce.
Throughout 2009 the ANF has been asking community members, nursing home staff, friends
and relatives of residents to sign the "Charter for Quality Aged Care".
The Charter calls on the Federal Government to properly fund aged care and support the
campaign's four key objectives;
1) The right balance of skills and nursing hours so that nursing and care staff can provide
quality care for every resident.
2) Fair pay for aged care nurses and care staff who are paid up to $300 per week less than
nurses in other sectors.
3) Recognition of the professional skills of Assistants in Nursing and care staff through a
national licensing system.
4) A guarantee that taxpayer funding is used for nursing and care staff for each resident.
Media inquiries:
Media inquiries
Eleni Hale, Media and Communications
(03) 9602 8522 / 0402337388
Ged Kearney, Federal Secretary
0417 053 322
Lee Thomas, Assistant Federal Secretary
0419 576 590
Nick Blake, Senior Industrial Officer
0419 523 740
NEWS 
