The government should stop dragging this case out and pay the workers what three courts have now said they are entitled to – the minimum wage for each hour of their sleepover shifts. The law is clear and leading constitutional academic Andrew Geddis said the government would be wasting their time appealing the case to the Supreme Court. Despite having no legal leg to stand on the IHC has lodged an appeal in the Supreme Court, but it is unclear if that court will even bother to hear the case.

And all the while disability support workers wait for what is legally theirs – minimum wage payments. Phil Dickson, whose name the case is in, gets paid $3.77 an hour for the 9 sleep over shifts he does a fortnight. The current minimum wage is $12.75. So Phil is missing out on around $650 a fortnight in wages. That is a huge amount for someone on a low income and would make a real difference in his life.

There is no good reason to make him and other support workers wait any longer. We call on the government and their negotiators to reach a speedy settlement that delivers long overdue justice to these workers.

The election of a National-led Government has sparked newfound employer militancy, and public sector employers are among the most militant. Finance Minister Bill English announced in September that rising Government debt meant the state sector would face a funding freeze for up to five years, and many public sector employers are consequently refusing to negotiate on even modest pay claims on behalf of the most poorly paid employees.

These include hospital orderlies, cleaners and kitchen staff who earn as little as $14.62 an hour, and school support staff, teacher aides and librarians, some of whom earn as little as $12.94 an hour.  Many of these workers are represented by the SFWU with whom we have signed the MoU.  Others are represented by the PSA and by the NZEI.

And the unions are fighting back on behalf of low paid public service employees.  On Friday 27th they have organised nationwide lunchtime (12.30pm – 1.30pm) rallies to protest against the public sector wage freeze and call for a fair deal for low-paid workers.

I’m planning to go along to support the workers at the Auckland rally, and hope as many frogblog readers as possible can get to your local protest.  Here’s a full list of rally locations:

Kaitaia - Cnr Redan/Commerce St
Whangarei - Main mall in the centre of the town – Cameron/James St Cnr
Auckland - Methodist Church on Queen Street
Thames - Outside the Civic Centre on Mary Street
Hamilton - Garden Place, Victoria St
Taumarunui - Next to library on “One Way Street”
Rotorua - Cnr of Arawa St and Ranolf St
Taupo - State Highway One – near Council Buildings
Tauranga - Red Square at bottom of town – Devonport St/The Strand/Spring St Cnr
Whakatane - The Strand/Commerce St (near roundabout)
Gisborne - Cnr of Gladstone Rd/Reads Quay (near the bridge)
Hastings - St Johns Hall, Southland Road
New Plymouth - Meet between centre city and Devon St (If wet: St Josephs Church)
Hawera - Salvation Army Hall Regent St, marching up High St to Chester Burrows office
Whanganui - Majestic Square on Victoria Ave
Palmerston North - PSA House King Street and then march to Square
Levin - Adventure Park Pavilion, Main Highway and then march down main street
Wairarapa - Old Folks Hall Cole Street
Wellington - Meet @ Loaves & Fishes 1100-1200, then go to Parliament
Nelson - Top of Trafalgar Street
Westport - Outside Hospital
Greymouth - Outside Grey Base Hospital, High Street
Christchurch - Victoria Square (march from TUC)
Ashburton - Checkerboard Town Centre
Timaru - Town Square cnr Strathallan and Strafford Sts
Dunedin - Octagon (march from Hospital)
Invercargill - Cnr Tay and Dee Streets

Currently, ACC reimburses the travel costs of home care workers who have to travel more than 20km to provide support for an injured person in his or her home.    However, they now propose to make the home care worker cover the cost of the first 20km of travel, however far they have to go to get to the home of the person they are caring for.

According to Richard Wagstaff, General Secretary of the PSA, home care workers are paid as little as $14.14 an hour.  They are also paid only half their hourly rate for driving time. The changes in travel reimbursement could cost them up to 19% of their income.  That means they could end up on an effective wage of as little as $11.45 an hour – that’s over $1 an hour less than the current minimum wage – after their travel costs are taken into account.

And it is not just the caregivers who will suffer.  Injured people who live in isolated areas are likely to find it increasingly difficult to find any caregiver prepared to travel to their home to provide the home help or attendant care they need.

But do ACC care?  Seems not.