Hobart Child Safety and Youth Justice workers are escalating their action today and will stop work for four hours over the government’s insufficient workforce package that fails to address the severe staffing shortages.
In a move that highlights the government’s disregard, just a few days after the stop work action in the north last month, Child Safety and Youth Justice workers who are not covered by the government’s workforce package saw impact days – a key entitlement they’ve been campaigning for – showing up on their Employee Self Service system, only to have these days revoked by the government. This cold-hearted move only fuels the ongoing campaign, as these workers fight for the basic recognition they deserve.
The workforce package, recently introduced by Children and Youth Minister Roger Jaensch following the tragic death of a child in the north west, offers two $5,000 payments and a 15% market allowance – but only for a select few roles, leaving out crucial frontline workers such as child safety support workers, youth workers, unit coordinators, and some youth justice workers. These workers, who make sure that children and young people stay connected with their families, go to appointments and live stable lives while also enduring abuse and bearing the brunt of service failures, report mental anguish from being overlooked.
“I don’t believe the government and minister know what we really do in a day and what our work means to the children and families that need support,” a worker said.
For over 18 months, these workers have been waiting for a comprehensive Child Youth and Families agreement that covers everyone in the sector. The announcement of this insufficient package is seen as a step backward by workers and the union as it “not only divides the workforce but also exacerbates the staffing crisis that endangers the very children these workers are dedicated to protecting,” according to HACSU State Secretary Robbie Moore.
“Members are not ruling out taking further action if the government continues to treat essential frontline workers with disregard,” Robbie Moore said.