Health workers and education assistants strike outside Albany Health Campus to demand higher pay rise

More than 50 people from Albany’s health and education industries walked off the job on Thursday to protest the State Government’s proposed pay rise in light of “catastrophic” cost of living pressures. Staff at Albany Health Campus and education assistants from schools across the Great Southern joined forces outside the AHC to represent the United Workers Union demanding a 7 per cent pay rise in the first year and 5 per cent in the second. Their request is 2.25 per cent and 1 per cent higher than the State Government’s recent offer of 4.75 per cent in the first year and 4 per cent in the second. UWU public sector co-ordinator Lisa Judge said that while she appreciates the government coming to the table, the increase is not enough to address the cost-living pressures facing workers. “It’s clear that the government is listening to the issues these workers are bringing to the table but that’s not a pay rise that will let them stay in their jobs in schools and hospitals,” she said. “In the regions, workers are facing a catastrophic cost of living crisis. “It used to be here in Albany, in Bunbury, in the Wheatbelt that lower rents offset the higher cost of living that workers experienced but that’s just not the case anymore. “In other regions of Western Australia, there’s a district allowance that is to support workers with the higher cost of living in the region — the South West and the Great Southern and the Wheatbelt are mostly left out of those allowances. “That might have been appropriate 15 years ago, but it’s not appropriate anymore.” The strike comes three months after more than 200 teachers marched down York Street as part of a Statewide stop-work protest over pay. Education Assistant at North Albany Senior High School Belinda Haines, who has a second job at a cafe to pay the bills, said the issue is industry-wide. “I’ve been working (at NASHS) for 18 years and though we’ve had little pay increases, it’s nothing that’s going to help us,” she said. “We’re losing so many staff at the moment that they’re going to other jobs, they’re going mining, they’re going anywhere else so they can get a pay rise and have a decent wage. “I absolutely love my job, I love working with the kids, but I am considering leaving too — it’s just about surviving.” Nurses, shift co-ordinators and patient support assistants also took up the “union, power” chant outside the doors of their workplace. Patient support assistant at AHC Kym Bairstow said the union’s proposed pay rise covers the extra work expected of them as well as rising rents and expensive grocery shops. “We’re getting sort of pressured to do more and more in our roles,” she said. “We’re short-staffed quite a lot which puts a bit of pressure on the hospital system, but we try to cover. “The hospital would maybe last a day without us, picking up all the non-medical little bits. “All of us just want to be recognised, to be recognized that we really deserve the pay rise.” Ms Judge said if the State Government does not meet the union’s requests they will have another strike on August 21.