Home Care workers deserve better pay and respect at work. It's time to fix Home Care - are you with us?
Your Union for HOME care workers
If you work in Home Care – United Workers Union (UWU) is your union!
Throughout our history, we’ve shown when working people come together, we win. We fight hard for jobs you can count on, decent pay and conditions, and respect at work. Your union is here to help you – providing a range of quality services, benefits and representation when you need it.
UWU provides you with:
- Information & Expert Advice
- Support & Representation at Work
- Better Pay & Conditions
- Training & Development
- Access to a Community of Home Care Workers
Now is the time to join together with your colleagues and take action to improve home care.
have your say in the home care Workers survey!
Home Care workers across the country continuously have their rights ignored and experience a lack of respect, with providers refusing to implement solutions to your concerns.
Hundreds of Home Care Workers all across Australia have already done the survey! So, what are they saying?
- 93% indicate they experience disruptive last minute changes to their roster
- 77% are being required to do unpaid work. That’s wage theft!
- and, over half say they don’t have adequate communication from their branch, making it impossible to perform their job.
IT’S TIME TO FIX HOME CARE!
Share your key concerns in this quick survey.
How are last-minute roster changes impacting you?
Home care workers face constant last-minute roster changes, creating stress and chaos—especially at Christmas.
Anonymously share your worst experience with last-minute roster changes!
Call out your employer for their unfair practices, and tell us how these changes impact you and your family.
We want to hear your story.
what we are fighting for:
- Clear entitlement to paid time in which to perform the scheduling and administrative duties required to effectively perform your roles
- Paid and appropriate training
- Fair and transparent rosters
- A classification structure that recognises your skills, qualifications and experience.
- New wage rates that provide the recognition and respect that care workers deserve.
- Proper pay for higher duty appointments
- Protections that ensure part time workers can rely on consistent and fair hours of work, and are recognised for being on call or subject to changes in appointments.
- Clear regulation of the use of broken shift arrangements.
- Entitlement to travel allowances and travel time pay
- A regular worker consultation meeting that allows for engagement and consultation with both the Union and your employer
- Access to your rights, access for union delegates to speak with new workers and in team meetings
- Financial transparency and accountability for providers to ensure profits are not put ahead of quality care
HOME CARE WORKERS UNITED
Join our Facebook Group for Home Care Workers from across Australia to connect, support each other and learn.
If you’re a home care worker and a United Workers Union member,
UnionSmart is the app for you!
Working in home care can be isolating and confusing. It can be hard to find others who understand your work, and hard to know if you’re being treated right. UnionSmart makes sure you’re not alone.
Through the app, you can talk to your union delegates, get personalised advice to workplace questions, browse the library of hundreds of answers specific to home care, and find out how to get active in making home care fairer for everyone.
UnionSmart is constantly improving.The more questions you ask it, the smarter it gets. New questions and answers are added every week!
Download UnionSmart now to connect with the knowledge & power of your union!
Have questions or need help downloading? Email us here!
ENDORSE THE HOME CARE DEMANDS
Sign your support for our four demands to Fix Home Care:
Join the union for Home Care workers
join your unionStanding united as thousands of Home Care workers we can change our sector for the better!
union member benefits
Join millions of working Australians standing together for a better deal at work.
Better Pay and Conditions
Union members stand together for better pay and conditions, respect, and job security.
Australian workers who are union members earn on average $250 more every week.
Back up and Support at Work
When you face poor treatment – like unfair dismissal, safety issues or harassment at work it’s important to be union.
At worksites across the country UWU Delegates, leaders and Health and Safety Reps have your back.
Training, Community & Information
Members have access to exclusive training and development designed to support you at work.
Being union also gives you access to a community of workers and expert information when you need it.
Join a Movement that Wins
When you’re union, you’re part of a national movement with a long history for standing up for what is right.
If you want a fairer Australia, joining your union is the best way to make a difference.Save with Union Shopper
As a United Workers Union member you’re entitled to a wide range of financial discounts and savings as part of the union member benefits program.
Offset your union dues by saving big on groceries, white goods, and travel.union faq's
Unions were started for workers, by workers to give them a stronger voice at work and in the community. Unions collectively bargain for better pay and conditions, provide representation at work, and engage in community and political campaigns that impact members’ lives. Joining the union is joining a collective, standing together for a better future.
United Workers Union (UWU) is the union Home Care workers in Australia.
Our coverage extends across:
- Queensland
- New South Wales
- Australian Capital Territory
- South Australia
- Western Australia
- Northern Territory
If you’re unsure or have any questions, get in touch with us here.
If you work in Home Care in another state, you can find your union through the ACTU here.
No. The Fair Work Act 2009 states that in Australia, everyone has the right to be a member of a union. Your employer cannot discriminate against you or prevent you from being a member, or from seeking help from your organiser or local union office.
In fact if your employer or manager is discouraging you from joining your union – that is the strongest indication that you need union protection.
If you’re particularly worried about your situation, call our friendly Membership Services Team to discuss.
Union membership fees change slightly based on where you work and what you’re paid – most membership fees are $13.25 a week. The join form will display the right fee grade once you enter your occupation information, before you submit your details.
Yes, union membership is 100% tax deductible!
When joining online you can select to pay either by credit/debit card, or via direct debit.
You can also select your payment frequency: weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, so you can align it with your pay cycle.
Unions are run to benefit their members, not for profit. Membership fees are used to provide services and advocate on behalf of members, like representation and legal support, training and development opportunities, expert information, collectively bargain on behalf of workers, and run community/political campaigns to further our members interests (like our Fix Home Care campaign!).