Care and support workers who had their pay equity claims dumped overnight after years of work will meet at Parliament tomorrow to voice their frustration at the Coalition Government’s changes.
The workers are members of New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) and are some of the 3000 aged residential care health care assistants who were party to the claim.
NZNO care and support delegate Tash Greig says care and support workers were devastated by the changes.
"The Government chose not to prioritise low-paid women in this year’s Budget. They can find funding for landlords and the film industry, but not for women doing some of society’s toughest jobs.
"The work we do has been underpaid and undervalued for generations because we are women. Our claim was almost finalised and would have meant our hard work was finally properly recognised.
"To heap injustice on injustice, these changes were made without warning or consultation. That’s why we are joining the cross-union hui at Parliament tomorrow.
"We want the Government to treat us with the same dignity and respect we treat our elderly and vulnerable patients with - and reverse these changes," Tash Greig says.