MEDIA RELEASE

2 December 2005

CTU Supports Home Care petition

“Rural based home care workers face significant financial pressures and the CTU supports the campaign to secure reimbursement of their travel costs,” said Carol Beaumont, Council of Trade Unions Secretary.

Rural Women New Zealand today presented their petition of 18,000 signatures, calling on the government to reimburse the travel expenses for homecare workers.

“These workers deserve decent wages and employment conditions like any other workers do,” said Carol Beaumont. “The payment of a direct employment related expense, such as travel costs, is a basic employment right, especially in light of the significant geographical areas these workers have to cover.”

“The Minister of Health Pete Hodgson has made steps in the right direction on this issue, and we are expecting further action in next year’s budget.”

“We also note that mechanisms must be established to ensure that any future funding increase gets directly to the workers involved, to raise wages and improve employment conditions. Unions are actively campaigning for such improvements in both home based services and residential care,” said Carol Beaumont.

ENDS

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