Aged care workers take strike action around the country in October.

Members at Guardian Health Group (GHG), MacPherson Group and Presbyterian Support have all taken industrial action in recent weeks and more is on the way.

Around 600 GHG NZNO and Service and Food Workers' Union (SFWU) members from sites throughout the country went on strike for 24 hours on October 6. The unions are seeking pay rates of up to $14 per hour, with members rejecting a pay offer of $11 for most experienced caregivers and a top step of $12.50 per hour.

GHG is owned by DCA, a publicly listed Australian company that owns and operates 70 facilities with over 5750 beds in New Zealand and Australia. There is no reason why they cannot pay their staff better. Their Australian caregivers are paid A$13.90 an hour after three years' service, with no progression criteria. Aged-care workers in both countries are paid a pittance for the essential work they do in our communities.

Australian workers also receive allowances for uniforms, shoes, cardigans, stockings, socks and laundry. Other standard allowances are on call and meats, and of course higher rates for part-time and casual workers. Delegates are now circulating a petition and many sites have voted to continue lunchtime pickets and other forms of action. If you have not signed it, contact an NZNO office for a copy of the petition to circulate in your work area.

Around 170 NZNO and SFWU members employed by the MacPherson Group's five North Island sites also took strike action for 24 hours on October 6. All sites have voted to continue industrial action and in the meantime NZNO will continue in mediation with the employers. Staffing is a real problem in these sites, with increasing numbers of staff leaving to join the public sector where pay rates are significantly higher.

Nearly 400 Presbyterian Support members from 14 South Island aged-care facilities took eight hours of strike action on October 20. Although Support has had a three percent government funding increase over the past year, plus holiday pay adjustments of over one percent, it has only offered 2.7 percent for a 12-month term. It has also refused to guarantee that future government funding will be passed on to staff as increased wages.

ElderCare New Zealand has purchased the Salvation Army rest-homes and hospitals, taking over last month. Qualcare merged with the McPherson group at the end of last month also.

The report "A snapshot of staffing levels in aged-care services" was released on October 1 to coincide with the International Day of the Older Person (see last month's Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, p7). The report, which has attracted much interest, highlights shortfalls in caregiver and registered nurse staffing numbers when compared to the Ministry of Health indicators for safe staffing.

There are many ways of supporting aged-care workers in your area. Some suggestions are writing to your local paper (or a national paper if you prefer), contacting and lobbying your local MP, joining a picket line in your area, displaying a "fair share for aged care" bumper sticker on your car, signing petitions, working with and attending your NZNO regional council or even contacting your local NZNO office to volunteer your services in the aged-care campaign.

Report by NZNO Hamilton-based organiser Joanne Wrigley