Salvos' staff stop work over pay dispute

25 Jul 2011, 5:35 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Salvation Army workers in Melbourne's west have walked off the job, calling for better pay and conditions from the charity.

They work with Victoria's most troubled youth, dealing daily with prostitution, drug and alcohol problems and abuse victims.

But Salvation Army workers say their pay is so bad they are almost eligible to seek the help they provide for others.

About 90 employees at Salvation Army Westcare at Sunshine in Melbourne's west walked off the job for eight hours on Monday, demanding better pay and conditions from the charity.

The Salvation Army has made a final offer to the workers after more than three years of Enterprise Bargaining negotiations, but staff held their fourth strike in recent months in a bid to get the charity to come back to the negotiating table.

The staff, who earn an average of $45,000 a year, are asking for a four per cent pay rise, paid parental leave and penalty rates for 12-hour shifts.

Carole Binks, 34, says she can no longer afford to stay in her full-time job after seven years at Westcare, which provides foster care programs and maintains residential care units for troubled teens.

"If you've got a healthcare card you qualify for services from the Salvation Army and I'm just a smidgin off that, I'm a fraction off qualifying for a healthcare card," said Ms Binks.

She said working with youth who are dealing with drug and alcohol issues, mental health problems, or in some cases prostituting themselves was a "tough gig".

"We all work with very vulnerable young people that do require a lot of help," said Ms Binks.

"It can be quite confronting at times and it can be very tough - a little bit of recognition from the Salvos wouldn't go astray.

"It's getting to a point where people are getting fed up. I can't afford to stay here any longer."

The Salvation Army has offered staff a three per cent pay rise, which it began paying from the beginning of July despite the absence of an agreement, said Salvation Army spokesman Major Bram Cassidy.

This is on top of the 3.4 per cent pay rise awarded by Fair Work Australia, he said.

He said the pay rise would now be rolled out to about 5000 employees across the Salvation Army network, which is why the charity cannot afford a higher offer.

The Salvation Army must also await the result of the Equal Remuneration case currently being dealt with by Fair Work Australia, which has the potential to cost the charity "millions of dollars", he said.

Australian Services Union organiser Leon Wiegard said claims the charity could not afford to pay its workers more were "disingenuous", given that similar charity organisations with lower incomes could afford such pay and conditions.

"It's really disrespectful and goes against the Salvos' self-confessed philosophy of respect and dignity ... that's certainly not what members feel here," he said.

"These people have dedicated their working lives to getting paid very low money to look after these sometimes very traumatised kids, and for them to walk out is actually quite a traumatic thing for them to do."

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