A Fair Work Commission ruling over pay in the aged care sector has the potential to "bring hope" to a sector losing staff.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced two bonus payments of up to $400 each for aged care workers.
However, a commitment to stand by a Fair Work Commission ruling - if it goes the way unions want it to - is what Albury aged care boss Wendy Rocks wants to see.
"It's very positive and I'm very pleased for the staff," she said of the payments.
"Aged care gets a lot of one-off payments ... what we're not hearing about is a change to the recurrent funding which will enable providers to pay appropriate remuneration to staff.
"We've also had no word on if the government will stand by the recommendations of the Fair Work Commission."
The Health Services Union and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation have brought a case in front of the Fair Work Commission, seeking a 25 per cent increase.
The Lutheran Aged Care Albury managing director said staff were leaving "at the coalface" but also in management.
"Funding to address the sustainability issues that are most urgent in the sector is what's needed," she said.
"If the government were to ... stand by what the Fair Work Commission comes up with, I think the sector could be hopeful.
"People seeing the $17 billion allocated to aged care may well think with we're floating in money.
"But a lot of that money has gone and does go towards creating administrative departments to facilitate the various changes."
Health Services Union national president Gerard Hayes called it a "pre-election political strategy", raising that workers in the sector earn as little as $21 an hour.
Members of government have denied the payment is geared towards the election.
Senator Jane Hume told ABC's RN Breakfast the payment was also made in 2020.
"Don't for a second think that this is the only support for the aged care workforce," she said.
"It was this government that's provided $17.7 billion in aged care funding in response to that.
"The decision on a pay rise is not one for government but one for the Fair Work Commission."
Staffing shortages in aged care have been made "ten times worse" by the surge in Omicron cases.
The Australian Aged Care Collaboration has called for an increased investment in the aged care surge workforce to counteract the impacts.
Ms Rocks said staff contracting COVID-19 outside of work was compounded by the need to put additional resources to pandemic management.
"We are testing our staff every day - the logistics of it really are amazing," she said.
"Testing 90-odd staff takes other people off the floor and there's delays to starts of shifts.
"On a morning, you might have six people who have had a family member test positive or they've tested positive and are off for seven days or more - that has such an impact."
Ms Rocks said that like other industries, aged care continued to experience issues with supply.
"From time to time, it is difficult to get various things," she said.
"There's a lot of frustration around a number of things; rapid antigen tests, PPE, masks, and all that.
"What we've learned to do is just take it in stride because it's every day.
"I'm very grateful that we are doing very well and that's down to our managers and our staff - they are brilliant.
"I can only applaud them."
