Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Licence needed for work use Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Disability support workers gain historic victory

PSA SFWU JOINT MEDIA RELEASE


July 8, 2009

For Immediate Use

Disability support workers gain historic legal victory

Disability support workers are celebrating an historic legal victory in their battle to be paid at least the minimum wage for providing round-the-clock support for people with disabilities.

The Employment Court has ruled that disability support workers are working when doing ‘sleepover’ shifts and should be paid the minimum adult wage for all of that time.

The case is one of two brought by the Service and Food Workers Union and the Public Service Association. These unions have thousands of members working ‘sleepover’ shifts in the disability, mental health and aged care sectors.  

The case involved disability support worker Phil Dickson. He works at an IHC community house that is home to five service users with intellectual disabilities.

As part of his job Mr Dickson does ‘sleepover’ shifts from 10pm to 7am for which he’s paid $34.  This amounts to $3.77 an hour, less than a third of the minimum adult wage of $12.50 an hour.

Mr Dickson is allowed to sleep during the shift but is frequently disturbed and often has to get up to provide support for the service users living in the community house. The court described the responsibilities he has during sleepovers as ‘weighty’ and ‘critical to the business of the employer.’  The IHC argued that doing a ‘sleepover’ shift is not work and so Phil does not have to be paid the adult minimum wage while doing the shift.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

 

“The Employment Court did not accept the IHC argument,” says SFWU national secretary John Ryall.  “The court has ruled that doing a ‘sleepover’ shift is working and Mr Dickson should be paid the minimum adult wage for a ‘sleepover’ shift.”

“This is a significant and historic decision because there are thousands of workers being paid less than the minimum wage for ‘sleepover shifts,” says John Ryall.

The court’s ruling is in line with decisions on similar cases heard in Britain, Europe, Canada and the United States. These cases all defined work as time spent on-call or sleeping, when the worker is required to be at work and to be available immediately to do their job.   

“The government must take notice of this decision,” says PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff.

“That’s because it needs to ensure employers have the funding they need to pay disability support workers, and others working ‘sleepover shifts’, at least the minimum wage.”

The Court has asked for further submissions from the Council of Trade Unions and Business New Zealand about some issues as to how the payment under the Minimum Wage Act 1983 must be made.

 ends

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4222 (20090707) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

Featured News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.