Workers Online : : 2000 - Issue 72 : Home Care Win Recognises Community Contribution


Issue No 72		06 October 2000

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

Home Care Win Recognises Community Contribution

By Andrew Casey

More than four thousand Home Care workers throughout NSW have just won a 3.5 per cent wage increase.

The win, by members of the LHMU Home Care Union, comes after an intensive community and media campaign forced management to dig deeper to reward their loyal community workers.

" Home Care management originally offered a 1.5 per cent increase to their 4000 workers," Annie Owens, the NSW Secretary of the LHMU Home Care Union said today.

" This was immediately rejected by union delegates who decided to run an upfront campaign involving all our people.

" We got particularly good support for a vocal and active campaign in NSW country towns - which turned into a favourable community mood backing their local Home Care workers," Annie Owens said.

"Hundreds of carers rallied outside Home Care offices across NSW on 28 August - the most significant action in the industry for many years."

Home Care staff work broken shifts and can start as early as 6am, finishing as late as 7.30pm. They work alone in the houses of elderly and disabled people, taking care of the personal and housekeeping needs of their clients.

Home Care is the largest provider of quality services for the elderly and disabled in their homes.

Carol Howard - who takes care of fifteen elderly and disabled people in the Manly area - said the pay increase showed an effective union campaign can change management attitudes.

" The union's rally, the campaign and the community awareness we created about our issues were important. It got management to sit up and listen to our complaints, and treat us with respect," Carol Howard said.

" The pay result is a lot better than what Home Care was originally going to try to give us."

A vote on Home Care's offer has resulted in 84 per cent of LHMU members voting to accept the pay offer, backdated to September 1, 2000.

Home Care workers expect to win further improvements when their next agreement is negotiated in 2001.

View entire issue - print all of the articles!

Issue 72 contents

Interview: Taking It To The Union Busters
ACTU Assistant Secretary Richard Marles talks to Workers Online about turning back the anti-union sentiment growing in the business community, responsible unionism and the sense of fun to be found at the ACTU.

International: The White Knights
The International Labour Organisation has become the great hope for those fighting to give globalisation a human face. Australian Bob Kyloh is one of those working with trade unions within the ILO to make it happen.

Politics: Industrial Democracy for Australia
Glenn Patmore argues we need new forms of employee representation in the workplace to broaden employee participation.

Unions: Behind The Scenes
In a small office at Homebush Bay, as the world focused on all that was positive about our games, Unions 2000 and SOCOG officials worked tirelessly to ensure that no worker was ripped off. Chris Christoudoulou reports.

Satire: Parade of Icons �Could Have Included Even More Ex-Aussies� Say Critics
The selection of Greg Norman, Paul Hogan and Elle Macpherson to represent Australia in the �Parade of Icons� during the Closing Ceremony of the Sydney Games last night has prompted a storm of complaints from other famous former Australians.

Review: Elliott Smiths Figure 8
Smith is basically the secret love child of the fab four and it�s so blatantly obvious. That�s not a bad thing because one thing Lennon and McCartney were reknown for was there ability to pen catchy tunes.

» Interstate Rail Workers Rebel Against AWAs

» Australia Post Exposes Staff to Bomb Danger

» Alliance Builds Against Commonwealth Bank

» Carr Lauds Union Movement For Golden Olympics

» Big Brother Unwelcome In Child Care Centres

» Council Workers Win Community Language Allowance

» Fiji Facing Dictatorship

» Home Care Win Recognises Community Contribution

» Pressures Mount on Truckies

» Industrial Action Looms At IBM Global

» In Your Face Provocateurs

» Putting A Stop To Workplace Intimidation

» Australian History To Be Buried Alive