Support Workers

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Policy

Support Workers
Version 3.04 Published 26/08/2025 Web Page https://eng.dunz.org.nz/campaigns/employment/support-workers/

Status

This is a working draft. The workshop is yet to happen.

Definition

The

Problem

The

Solution

• Support workers to be well-trained, well-paid, and unionised, and for there to be enough of them to meet our needs.
• All support workers should be well-trained, well-paid, and unionised with national contracts and receive compensation for travel costs.
• Encourage people with disabilities and their families to participate in the union protests to support our support workers.
• Train enough support workers to meet our needs by providing block-course training while employees are working, rather than requiring them to complete courses before employment.
• Workers on IF contracts are to be unionised and under a collective agreement.
• Pay for Skill
• Disabled United to reach working campaign agreements with E tu, PSA, NZNO

Proposed KPI

• Total

Context

• Employment
  • Family Carers
  • Minimum Wage Exemption
  • Right to Work
  • Support Workers

Schedules

1. Employers

2.

Discussion

23 October 2024

DUNZ recently decided to formally support our support workers and their three unions because we want support workers to be well-trained, well-paid, and unionised, and for there to be enough of them to meet our needs.

Most disabled people prefer individualised funding (IF) because it gave more agency and control over who provided care.

The three unions that cover disability-support workers are;

• E tū
• New Zealand Nurses Union (NZNO)
• Public Service Association (PSA)