Media release – Health and Community Services Union, 1 December 2021
Unprecedented vote of no confidence in CEO of Tassie’s largest aged care provider
Workers at Southern Cross Care, Tasmania’s largest aged care provider, have voted unanimously for the immediate resignation of CEO Robyn Boyd.
Never has an aged care workforce in Tasmania voted to remove a CEO, but these workers say they have no choice other than to take this unprecedented step to protect workers and residents from chronic mismanagement, unsafe care facilities and under-resourcing.
Workers have also condemned the Board for refusing to intervene earlier despite mounting evidence of misconduct.
The vote of no confidence comes as Southern Cross Care continues to be heavily sanctioned by the aged care regulator, with Hobart facilities Rivulet and Rosary Gardens the latest found to be failing to meet standards.
Earlier this month Southern Cross Care owned up to underpaying staff more than 6 million dollars in wages but, despite sitting on the underpayments for 2 years, they continue to refuse to tell staff exactly how much they are owed individually.
To make matters worse, Southern Cross Care have now announced that a proposed agreement to further cut wages and breaks for workers will go to a vote this Friday. This would leave some already underpaid care workers up to $10,000 worse off over the life of the agreement, putting workers and residents in an even more precarious position, with fewer staff left on the floor to deliver care.
Southern Cross Care must listen to their staff, and HACSU joins their call for CEO Robyn Boyd to resign for the sake of workers and of residents and their families.
