Parity sought

By Bridget Cook
DANDENONG social and community workers have raised concerns that their sector is facing imminent collapse due to a lack of funding.
Last week, Dandenong MP John Pandazopoulos, representatives from the Australian Services Union and about 20 local workers attended a ‘shout out’ in Dandenong to raise awareness of the issue.
The average qualified community worker doing government-funded program work in the not-for-profit sector earns $20,000 less than those who do the same type of work in hospitals or were employed by a government department.
Michael Rizzo, assistant branch secretary at ASU, said the campaign is about pay parity, paid parental leave, portability of long service leave and improved occupation, health and safety provisions.
“Community sector workers, working with the people of Dandenong, are not second class citizens and their skills and expertise must be acknowledged, and to do this they must be paid appropriately,” he said.
Dandenong family worker, with Connections Uniting Care, Kate Zimmer said the pay doesn’t reflect the work involved.
“We have qualifications the same as those in the education and health system, yet we are not paid equivalent and are not paid parental leave,” Ms Zimmer said.