500 signatures reached
To: Prime Minister Scott Morrison
Protect healthcare workers with paid pandemic leave
**UPDATE 28 JULY 2020 – The Fair Work Commission has granted paid pandemic leave to staff working in residential aged care under the Aged Care Award, the Nurses Award, and the Health Professionals Award!
BUT THERE IS MORE WORK TO BE DONE – we want paid pandemic leave for all health, home care and disability support workers.
Sign and share the petition so no worker is left behind!**
The evidence is clear and growing by the day – health workers need paid pandemic leave. And we need it now!
The HSU is fighting for health, aged care, and disability support workers to have the right to paid pandemic leave through the Fair Work Commission, but one thing is holding us back – we need the Federal Government to provide funding.
The Government must act now to ensure workers are no longer forced to choose between being able to put meals on the table or staying home and getting tested.
When you protect health workers, you are also protecting the people they work with and the wider community.
Sign the petition to tell the government we need paid pandemic leave for health, aged care, and disability support workers, now!
Why is this important?
Health, aged care, and disability support workers cannot socially distance from the people they work with and are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
Many of these frontline heroes are in low paid and insecure work and cannot afford to take time off.
Saying no to a shift can mean the difference between putting food on the table or going hungry.
Paid pandemic leave for health, aged care and disability support workers is not just the right thing to do, it is a critical public health measure.
We see the growing evidence coming from Victoria. As at 23rd July:
- The Victorian Government figures state there are 447 COVID cases linked to 35 aged care sites.
- 529 healthcare workers have been infected so far.
- 80% of COVID transmissions in Victoria have been in workplaces.
- Of 3,810 cases between 7-21 July, nearly 90% (3,400) did not isolate between feeling sick and getting a test.
And the rest of Australia is not immune. We cannot have Australian workers going to work with a runny nose or mild symptoms because they are worried about how they will pay for the groceries at week’s end.
We cannot wait until the situation gets worse.
Stop stalling - fund paid pandemic leave for health, aged care, and disability support workers.