2025-03-12
Background
The Finocchiaro CLP Government has scrapped the Portable Long Service Leave Scheme for community services workers. This scheme enabled care workers to transfer their accumulated long service leave across different jobs in disability care, aged care, and child care, rather than tying them to a single employer. They claim that this will prevent families having to pay more for childcare because of the increased labour costs this was imposing on childcare centres. This decision is an attack on some of our most important and undervalued workers in the NT.
Quotes attributable to Mx Kat Mcnamara MLA, Member for Nightcliff
“It’s a disingenuous and offensive claim that the increasing costs of childcare is because of portable long service leave entitlements for care workers. If the CLP Government really cared about supporting families, they would invest far more money into publicly owned and operated childcare rather than leaving it up to for-profit providers to look after our kids.”
“The care sector has a high proportion of women and migrant workers. Many of these workers are at the centre of the families the CLP claims to support by scrapping this scheme. This is pure politics and does nothing to help hard-working families.”
“Care workers deserve the same benefits and entitlements as workers in other sectors. Portable long service leave is available all over Australia for tradies, public servants, and community service workers.”
“The NT already struggles to attract and retain skilled workers in the care sector. We need to be doing more, not less, to encourage care workers to move to the Territory.”
“This announcement is a slap in the face to care workers and to employers who are crying out for skilled workers.”