Julie Kun, Dalene Salisbury and Antonietta Peel joined the fight for better pay for Dandenong’scommunity workers.
By Melissa Meehan
DANDENONG community workers expressed concern for their industry at a rally on Tuesday.
The Community Sector Division of the Australian Services Union called on the Victorian Government to invest more in wages and improved conditions for the workers. Hundreds of workers and supporters gathered at Pioneer Memorial Park in Dandenong to voice their concerns.
ASU Victorian branch assistant secretary Lisa Darmanin said workers in the community sector were committed to providing services to the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
“We are finding it increasingly stressful to work in organisations that, due to funding constraints, cannot provide decent wage increases or job security,” she said.
Dandenong community services worker Antonietta Peel has worked in the Dandenong region for five years.
“Now, more than ever, agencies are experiencing high staff turnover and it is taking longer to fill vacancies,” Ms Peel said. “We have every right to ask government to value us; the work that we do and the people and families that we work with.”
