Source: Radio New Zealand
123RF
The Public Service Association is calling on the government to offer targeted financial support to home support workers.
Many of country’s 23,000 home support workers are earning minimum wage and travel is reimbursed at only 63.5c per kilometre, the union for public servants said.
Home support workers provide assistance to elderly, disabled and injured people, helping with everyday tasks such as showering and taking medication.
Lower Hutt support worker and PSA delegate Lisa Thomson said those in the sector were struggling even before fuel prices surged.
“It’s actually pretty horrendous at the moment because we only get paid minimum wage and we get paid fortnightly and we’ve got to budget everything to the last cent,” Thomson said.
“There’s no room for extras on anything.
“It’s pay week this week, we’ll put gas in but next week where are we going to get the money from to put the gas in to go to our clients?”
The travel reimbursement – which was almost half the IRD kilometre rate – did not go far when support workers were travelling dozens of kilometres to visit more than 15 clients a day, Thomson said.
“We don’t get any money for the upkeep of our cars. We get a little bit for petrol and that’s about it.
“And one of the girls today just found out she needs four tyres this week – there’s a grand. Where’s that coming from? And then she’s still got to put her gas in the car.”
Home care workers’ pay equity claim was among those scrapped when the government wound back pay equity legislation last year.
Thomson wanted the government to increase the travel reimbursement immediately and to address pay equity for the sector.
PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
It felt like the government did not care, she said.
“I would tell [Finance Minister Nicola Willis] … start thinking about the now and how everyone is going to do their jobs and do it effectively with the rising cost, because it’s not even just the petrol.
“Cost of living has gone up horrendously and we are essential workers and we should be getting paid what we’re worth.
“The government has taken all that away from us and they need to adjust it.”
PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said home support workers were getting a raw deal.
“We’re asking the government to make home support workers their top priority when it comes to addressing fuel prices,” she said.
“These are essential workers who make sure people can live in their own homes and use their own vehicles. The increased cost of fuel is biting them hard.
“They’ve already had their pay equity claim cancelled. We want government action to make sure that they are properly reimbursed for their fuel costs and the use of their own vehicles.”
“It’s a deeply unfair situation for these workers. They have to pay for their own cars, their own petrol, their maintenance, their warrants, their insurance and it’s really biting given the increased cost of fuel.
“We need to see urgent action from government for home support workers. They are bearing the brunt of the fuel crisis and we need to see an urgent response.”
RNZ has approached the Minister for Finance’s office for comment.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
