To: Victorian State Government

Stop the Cuts to the SCHADS Award - No Cuts to Equal Pay!

Stand with us to save Equal Pay for the community sector!
The Fair Work Commission has proposed alarming changes to the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award that would have devastating consequences for our sector, our workers, and the people we support.

What’s at risk?

  • 3 in 4 workers face significant pay cuts - from $200 to $930 per week

  • Lived and community experience would be devalued, with qualifications prioritised over real-world knowledge and impact

  • 50% of workers have said they would be forced to leave the sector if these changes are implemented

These changes threaten to:

  • Undermine the quality of care

  • Create a workforce crisis in recruitment and retention

  • Damage the mental health and wellbeing of our essential workers

  • Destabilise a sector that supports some of the most vulnerable people in our community

We’re calling on the Victorian State Government to act now.

We urge you to:

  • Support our campaign to stop these cuts

  • Put pressure on the Fair Work Commission to halt these harmful changes

  • Commit to funding increases to the award that:

    • Recognise the complexity, skill and diversity of the work

    • Respect and values lived experience

Our sector cannot afford to lose the passionate, skilled, and experienced workers who are the heart of community services.
 





Why is this important?

This is about protecting the people who care for our communities — the workers who support those experiencing homelessness, family violence, mental health challenges, disability, and social isolation.

These roles are often invisible, yet absolutely essential.

If their pay and conditions are cut, it sends a clear message that this work - and the people they support - don’t matter.

These workers hold our communities together, often under immense pressure and with little recognition. When they’re undervalued or forced out of the sector, it’s the public who suffers — through reduced services, higher burnout, and weakened care systems.

This isn’t just a workers’ issue — it’s a community issue.