Source: Radio New Zealand
Health Minister Simeon Brown. RNZ / Mark Papalii
Ministers have sought “urgent advice” about how best to ease the pain of rising fuel prices for in-home care workers and other public servants who might be in a similar plight.
Support workers, who often earn little more than minimum wage, were not fully reimbursed for their transport costs despite having to visit injured, disabled or elderly people in their homes.
Soaring fuel prices have exacerbated the problem, prompting the Public Service Association and E tū to file an Employment Relations Authority claim against Health NZ.
Speaking at Parliament on Tuesday, Health Minister Simeon Brown said the government was “acutely aware” of the challenge and was exploring solutions “as quickly as possible”.
“These are incredibly valuable New Zealanders who play an important role caring for many thousands of New Zealanders, elderly, disabled, those on ACC.
“We greatly value the work that our home and care support workers do, and we hope to resolve this very soon.”
Brown indicated relief could be offered by boosting the existing mileage allowance which workers received. That rate had not been increased in four years.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis said ministers had received some preliminary advice on long-standing issues in the sector and were now awaiting further advice on more specific support options.
“We’re not going to have time to solve all of the underlying issues that are there – the claims which are made on both sides of the debate, both the contractor and the workers – but we can do something temporary, targeted and timely.”
Willis said officials were also investigating whether other public servants might be under similar pressure due to travel requirements.
“We need to be aware of the impact that fuel costs are having on those workforces where they have to travel between clients for their job,” she said.
“We have sought advice on where else that might be an issue in government. And in the first instance, we will be asking agencies to ensure those costs are met from within their own baselines. But we are looking to understand what those pressures could look like now and in the weeks and months ahead.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
