The Australian Services Union (ASU) has today announced the launch of the Skilled, Respected, Equal Alliance – a coalition of sector organisations committed to securing better pay, career pathways, and government support for social, community, and disability sector workers.
For three decades, workers in the social, community, and disability services sectors have been let down by an outdated classification system that fails to reflect the growing complexity of their roles.
That’s why the ASU is uniting workers and employers to push for adequate funding and implementation of a fair, future-ready Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Award.
ASU National Secretary Emeline Gaske said the Alliance was a groundbreaking group that would benefit community workers and employers while improving the quality of services for the community.
“For too long, workers in the social, community, and disability sectors have been undervalued, despite the critical role they play in supporting members of our community who rely upon support the most,” Ms Gaske said.
"The SCHADS Award is stuck in the 1990s — it doesn’t recognise the skills, experience, qualifications, or the complexity of the work people do and it’s completely out of step with modern expectations and the increasing demands from regulators and funding bodies.
“That’s why the Skilled, Respected, Equal Alliance is bringing workers and employers together to push for the reforms we desperately need — an improved classification system, proper recognition for workers, and to secure funding our sector relies on.”
The ASU has already initiated a major case in the Fair Work Commission to address key shortfalls in the SCHADS Award. However, Ms Gaske said achieving real change would require collaboration and government backing.
ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said: “ACOSS urges the next Federal Government to guarantee funding for improved pay, conditions and job security for all community sector workers across the country.
“Our sector has seen unprecedented demand for services in recent years. It’s beyond time that our workforce is adequately funded and treated with the dignity and fairness it deserves.”
The Skilled, Respected, Equal Alliance builds on the success of the ASU’s historic Equal Pay Campaign (2010-2012), which secured pay increases of 23–48 per cent and government funding to address the historic gendered undervaluation of community services workers.
The Fair Work Commission is expected to make key decisions on parts of the case in 2025, with further hearings on the classification structure slated for later this year. The Skilled, Respected, Equal Alliance will play a pivotal role in advocating for government support and funding to implement these reforms.