Arcare Aged Care nurses to protest distressing backpay bungle
Published: 20 December 2022
QNMU members at Arcare Aged Care Services will rally in Taigum today and at Hope Island tomorrow, following a backpay bungle that has threatened to leave scores of low-income workers short-changed before Christmas.
Arcare nurses and carers were awarded backpay following the successful negotiation of their latest Enterprise Agreement but errors in the processing and payment of the backpay has meant many were overpaid – in some instances by thousands of dollars.
Because it was not a regular pay amount, but a lump sum arrived at through complicated calculation and across multiple allowances (annual leave and training leave for example), many members were unaware the sum they received was incorrect.
On realising their error, Arcare demanded that staff agree to and commence repayments before Christmas, giving members very little time to check the accuracy of the repayment demands and causing significant emotional and financial distress. Following pushback from the union, Arcare have now allowed staff to commence repayments after Christmas.
QNMU Assistant secretary Kate Veach said management’s demands are unreasonable and highlights the challenges Aged Care workers face when working at ‘for-profit’ providers.
“Arcare’s initial heavy-handed directives ordering staff to begin repayments quickly before Christmas really does reveal the disregard Arcare have for their workers,” she said.
“We know from past experience with payroll errors that members should be very cautious about entering into repayment arrangements quickly, without having an opportunity to properly check the sums and work out a repayment plan that is manageable and will not cause financial strain.”
“This is Arcare’s mismanagement, it’s their error – yet it is our members, some of the most poorly paid workers in healthcare, who are the ones being treated callously with demanding letters and unreasonable repayment timeframes.”
To protest the “Grinch-like” behaviour of Arcare management in this matter and to draw attention to the emotional and financial distress they have caused, Arcare nurses and carers will rally at two sites which the media are invited to attend:
Tuesday, 20 December from 1pm
at Arcare Taigum, 156 Muller Rd, Taigum QLD 4018
Wednesday, 21 December from 12 noon
at Arcare Hope Island, 10 Halcyon Way, Hope Island QLD 4212
For further media inquiries please call: 0411 254 390.