There are approximately 19,000 Victorians in receipt of aged care packages and more than 14,500 on waiting lists, many of whom will be in receipt of Council delivered Home Care. Council’s withdrawal from home support services will impact on these individuals and their families increasing system fragmentation and uncertainty.

Hospital pharmacists at ACT Health are under immense pressure, overworked and understaffed. Despite months of meetings with management, and the Minister, they have failed to deliver a deal which guarantees better pay or an improved classification structure. Ongoing inaction by the Government is reckless and irresponsible – the workforce has put up with this for too long and is now at breaking point.

In 2016, the Government agreed to reassess the model of staffing for nurses in the state’s public system. This body of work has not been completed in the agreed timeframe and left Tasmanian nurses and midwives concerned about the potential risks to the community. Information provided by the Tasmanian Health Service show that there are currently more than 250 nursing jobs vacant in the public health system in Tasmania. Combine this with the fact that by April 2019 Tasmanian nurses will be the lowest paid in Australia* this paints a serious problem for our health system. With the shortage of nurses and the increasing pressure due to lack of beds across the state, we are calling on your support, whether you are a nurse, midwife, care worker, politician, family member or concerned community member to help show the government that we need to stop disregarding the future of nursing in Tasmania and take action to retain, recruit and recognise these valuable community members. *As compared to a Registered Nurse Grade 3 year 8 or equivalent

"When my father died I was at Uni, there was no question about how much time I would take off, I took what I needed. My mother however, who was in the workforce was expected to take only 2 days leave to grieve." In Australia, employees are only allocated 2 days leave to grieve when someone they love has passed away. There are so many considerations both physically and emotionally as you adjust to your altered reality. Recent models of bereavement recognise the oscillating nature of grief; where our view moves from a loss orientation to an orientation of restoring our changed world in some way. 2 days bereavement leave is more like funeral leave. Memoleaves is a website devoted to sharing grief and end of life stories. Our research into the state of bereavement leave is available here, we continue to research this important area. With this petition we hope to shine a light on the insufficient amount of bereavement leave as decreed in the National Employment Standards. Grief doesn't discriminate and neither should we.

Family Violence is a crime that seriously reduces the health and wellbeing of individuals, families and communities. The Premier has stated that eliminating family violence is a top priority of the Tasmanian Government. Tasmania Police data shows a 15 per cent increase in reported family violence arguments and incidents over a three-year period from 2014-15 (4,486) to 2016-17 (5,154). The FVCSS is struggling to deal with the increase in referrals due to lack of resources. The Family Violence Counselling and Support Service provides victims with: ◾Information, counselling & support ◾Trauma Counselling for children and young people ◾Information and support to family and friends ◾Arranging assistance from police ◾Assisting in organising a safe place to stay ◾Referrals to Legal Aid and/or Court Support ◾Act as an advocate in accessing assistance e.g. Housing, Centrelink ◾Liaise with Government and non-government sector on behalf of clients ◾Group work programs for affected adults, children and young people.

Since 2011 Tasmanian governments have capped the wages of Tasmanians working in the public sector, like rangers, health professionals, teachers and nurses, at 2% per annum. Premier Will Hodgman plans to continue this 2% cap until at least 2023. For many of these Tasmanians this means a struggle to make ends meet while the cost of living rises. When Will Hodgman decides to underpay his employees, everyone suffers. We cannot recruit and retain the people who provide the quality services that Tasmanians deserve. The cap holds down wages for all Tasmanians – private businesses look to government as a barometer for setting wages and conditions. Tasmanian public sector workers deliver opportunities, education, care and protection, improving all of our lives. But these workers need jobs they can count on to deliver these services. Bargaining is how we’ve built the jobs, wages and living standards we rely on. This doesn't happen when outcomes are decided before negotiations begin.

Asbestos has been banned in Australia since 2003 however every week illegal asbestos imports are stopped at our border. Some new asbestos products are also still making their way into our communities and workplaces in the form of building materials, car parts, children’s crayons and even home decorations. Once they inside Australia, it’s hard to detect them and then hard to get them removed without strong government regulation and enforcement. As long as countries in our region such as China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, India and Cambodia continue to manufacture asbestos products, we will continue to get illegal imports. Asbestos isn’t safe at any level of exposure. That’s why we’re supporting campaigns to ban asbestos throughout our region. In November 2017 the Senate Inquiry into Non-Conforming Building Products delivered an interim report into illegal asbestos imports. The recommendations included: • The Australian Government supporting asbestos bans internationally • Increased prosecutions and penalties for illegal imports • A whole of Government approach to ending illegal asbestos imports • Funding for the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency • More education and training on illegal asbestos imports • Funding to adequately screen imports • Compulsory recalls for consumer products containing asbestos The Liberal and Nationals members of the Inquiry called the recommendations ‘overreach’. Though a response has been due since May, the Government is yet to respond. We’re calling on the Government to support the recommendations of the inquiry, will you join us?

Malcolm Turnbull has just shown us what he really thinks of aged care workers and the care we give. We provide quality care to older Australians and help ensure they have dignified lives. It’s hard to imagine what a “better job” could be, but our rate of pay doesn’t reflect that. Honestly, Malcolm Turnbull’s attitude towards aged care is nothing new. He has already cut funding for aged care by more than a billion dollars, leaving aged care service providers struggling to provide the care our older Australians deserve. Turnbull has done a massive disservice to aged care workers like myself and the people we care for. The people we care for have done so much for our community and now I feel we’re failing when it’s our turn to care for them. He claims he values aged care but his words and actions don’t line up. Turnbull needs not only to apologise for his comments, but put his money where his mouth is and increase funding to aged care. Let’s make it very clear: Turnbull needs to value aged care workers and the people we care for!

Malcolm Turnbull just proved one thing: how little he values care workers, and the people we care for. For many of our aged and disabled clients, we are their only link to a dignified life. It’s hard work, but it’s absolutely vital – and I’d be hard pressed to find a ‘better’ or more rewarding job. Yet tens of thousands of Australians are waiting for home care packages or for room in aged care facilities, while the people who do the vital work of caring for them struggle to get by – with the rate of pay no where near matching the demands of the job. This is a national disgrace, and I don’t believe Turnbull's views reflect how Australians feel about some of our most hard-working and caring citizens – or our most vulnerable. Turnbull's comments did a disservice to both, and care workers and the people we work with deserve not just an apology, but genuine recognition. Care workers deserve fairness, certainty, and recognition for our work – not derision from our Prime Minister. Add your voice to make it loud and clear: care workers need jobs you can count on!

Community based, mental health support programs like the Personal Helpers and Mentors Service (PHaMs) are crucial in supporting people dealing with mental health issues to live a good life. With federal funding for the program being cut by 50% on June 30, thousands of South Australians currently benefiting from the program will be left without support and the jobs of approximately 150 highly trained workers have been put at risk. Join Australian Services Union members and key organisations in the mental health sector in calling on South Australian Premier Steven Marshall to step up and fill the funding gap before June 30 to save this crucial mental health program.

Aged care residents receive one and a half hours less care than they should, every day. Yet there are no rules to ensure the $2.17 Billion in government subsidies given to for-profit aged care companies is spent directly on their care. Proof of government funding being directly spent on care for residents needs to be mandated as a pre-requisite to receiving a taxpayer funding. It’s time to make aged care operators accountable for how they spend billions of dollars of taxpayer money.

The Victorian government is gutting the community mental health sector. It argues that it can pull this funding out of the sector because the NDIS is a better system for people with mental health needs. But here is what is really happening: • 91% of Victorian with severe mental health needs are not even eligible for the NDIS – leaving a massive 135,000 people without any support services. • Mental health admissions at ED’s have jumped over 19% in the past 4 years, putting an incredible strain on an already over-burdened system. • Victoria spends less per capita on mental health support than any other state or territory – $197 per capita to the rest of Australia’s average of $227. Along with these shocking facts, more than a thousand well-trained and dedicated Community Mental Health workers are being forced out of their jobs. This is devastating to them, their families and the people they support. Community Mental Health workers work in services that support Victorians with a wide range of mental health challenges. Their support helps people to live better lives and contribute to their communities. Community Mental Health is the frontline of mental health services that takes pressure off the hospitals and other acute services, the police and the courts. We’ve been warning of a crisis in mental health support – that crisis is now here. Vulnerable people with complex needs are falling through an ever widening gap. The Andrews government must recognise this looming disaster and act quickly to save Victoria’s recovery-focused community-based mental health support services.