Strengthening Queensland's Social Services Industry
With one in five new jobs in Queensland set to be in Health Care and Social Assistance by 2024-25, our Union during March raised with the Queensland Government, two short-term measures that will assist services with the recruitment and retention of employees this year.
Please see letters sent to members of Government here.
The two short-term measures are:
- additional funding where this has not already been considered (either by incorporation into a higher level of core funding or through indexation); and
- ensuring there is a smooth process for any reviews of funding and renewal, as we come to the end of the financial year.
Positively, the Queensland Government is committed to supporting funded organisations in providing services to vulnerable Queenslanders. The Queensland Government have advised our Union and the Industry that the indexation increase to be applied to ongoing operational State funding in 2022–23 will be 2.88%. Indexation payments will be calculated from 1 July 2022. Please note that due to funding received by the Commonwealth under the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA), indexation is applied differently for payments for homelessness services, to reflect these joint funding arrangements. Payments for homelessness services takes into consideration both the Commonwealth and the State indexation rates. We will meet with Minister Enoch this week to get better clarity on the indexation for housing and homelessness services.
Please see correspondence from Government here.
Annual Wage Review
Our Union has called for a 5% wage increase for the entire Industry in the 2022 Annual Wage Review in the Fair Work Commission. Employers and the Federal Government don’t think you deserve a 5% pay rise. Some employer associations are even arguing against ANY increase and under the Morrison Government, workers had a $800 wage cut last year. But we all know the truth. The cost of living crisis is steadily rising and community and disability workers are well overdue for a wage increase. The Services Union is your voice for a pay rise. Across Australia, community and disability workers are joining our Union’s call for wages to keep up with the cost of living – Sign the petition for the pay rise you deserve now!
When we met with the Queensland Government Ministers, we did take the opportunity to raise our claim for a 5% wage increase in the Fair Work Commission with them. We put to them that if we were successful, a review of the indexation increase of 2.88% may be required to ensure this minimum Award increase was adequately funded, as well as the scheduled increase to the Super Guarantee to 10.5% effective 1 July 2022.