Volunteers To Step In During Stopwork

The Age

Wednesday April 16, 2008

Dewi Cooke

THE Department of Human Services will use untrained volunteers to help care for hundreds of disabled Victorians during a four-hour stoppage by disability support workers today.

A leaked department email circulated to staff last Friday called for volunteers to help care for people with primarily intellectual disabilities during the stoppage.

The email, from regional director John Leatherland, states that volunteers did not need experience working in disability, aged or nursing care.

A spokesman for the department said a combination of agency and casual staff would handle the bulk of the work and volunteers without caring experience would not work unsupervised.

Up to 300 disability workers caring for about 640 residents at residential care units in Doncaster, Box Hill and Ringwood will take the industrial action this morning after a breakdown of wage negotiations with the State Government.

Community Services Minister Lisa Neville said the department would continue to negotiate with the Health and Community Services Union "to achieve a fair outcome".

Workers are demanding a 6% pay rise as well as better support and career opportunities for staff. -- DEWI COOKE

© 2008 The Age

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