To: Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments
Fair Pay for Community Services Workers
Community services workers are calling for the respect and recognition we deserve.
We work in family violence, housing and homelessness, supporting people with disabilities, advocacy, mental health, youth work, crisis support, residential care, alcohol and other drug services, social inclusion, financial counselling, community legal services, employment support and community health (and the list goes on!)
Despite the complexity of our work, our extensive experience and the invaluable support and services we provide to millions of Australians, many dedicated professionals are overworked, undervalued, and underpaid.
We are asking for your support to demand pay increases for our sector.
Community services workers need our skills to be respected, our work and experience, and lived and living experience, to be properly valued, and for equal pay to be protected.
We deserve to be able to build careers we can count on, with security for the future.
We deserve wages and conditions that reflect the complex and critical skills, qualifications, experience and professionalism we possess.
We deserve fair pay, career pathways, training and job security.
Because we know our worth.
We work in family violence, housing and homelessness, supporting people with disabilities, advocacy, mental health, youth work, crisis support, residential care, alcohol and other drug services, social inclusion, financial counselling, community legal services, employment support and community health (and the list goes on!)
Despite the complexity of our work, our extensive experience and the invaluable support and services we provide to millions of Australians, many dedicated professionals are overworked, undervalued, and underpaid.
We are asking for your support to demand pay increases for our sector.
Community services workers need our skills to be respected, our work and experience, and lived and living experience, to be properly valued, and for equal pay to be protected.
We deserve to be able to build careers we can count on, with security for the future.
We deserve wages and conditions that reflect the complex and critical skills, qualifications, experience and professionalism we possess.
We deserve fair pay, career pathways, training and job security.
Because we know our worth.
Why is this important?
Wages in the community services sector have not kept up with the value or complexity of our work.
Then, if it wasn't bad enough, in 2025, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) proposed to change the classification structure in the SCHADS Award. The FWC proposed a 9-level classification structure modelled on the Aged Care Award. These changes could have caused 73% of workers to face weekly pay cuts ranging from $179 to $930 across various sector roles. There are up to 130,000 workers employed under the SCHADS Award. 46% of those
workers faced losing over $200 per week.
According to ASU surveys, 40-50% of workers would be forced to leave the sector due to
financial stress if the FWC proposal was adopted.
So, we fought back. We held members meetings, site visits, stunts and rallies! We gained media attention right across the country and grew significantly as a union with thousands of workers getting engaged in the campaign right across the nation.
The FWC will likely make its final decision in around March. Any FWC decision will not be
implemented immediately.
So, in the meantime, we are running our campaign for pay increases for the community services sector.
We know that when we fight, we win. We’ve done it before.
We won pay increases of 23% to 45% to the minimum wages in 2012.
Let’s stand together in 2026 and show everyone why we must be valued!
Then, if it wasn't bad enough, in 2025, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) proposed to change the classification structure in the SCHADS Award. The FWC proposed a 9-level classification structure modelled on the Aged Care Award. These changes could have caused 73% of workers to face weekly pay cuts ranging from $179 to $930 across various sector roles. There are up to 130,000 workers employed under the SCHADS Award. 46% of those
workers faced losing over $200 per week.
According to ASU surveys, 40-50% of workers would be forced to leave the sector due to
financial stress if the FWC proposal was adopted.
So, we fought back. We held members meetings, site visits, stunts and rallies! We gained media attention right across the country and grew significantly as a union with thousands of workers getting engaged in the campaign right across the nation.
The FWC will likely make its final decision in around March. Any FWC decision will not be
implemented immediately.
So, in the meantime, we are running our campaign for pay increases for the community services sector.
We know that when we fight, we win. We’ve done it before.
We won pay increases of 23% to 45% to the minimum wages in 2012.
Let’s stand together in 2026 and show everyone why we must be valued!
How it will be delivered
We will deliver this petition to the State and Federal Governments to demonstrate support for pay increases for community services workers.