Valuing care in Australia: achieving pay equity in the social and community services sector

Care work is central to wellbeing in our society. The way in which it is valued affects not only care-givers and clients but also broader societal cohesiveness.

This paper examines the Equal Remuneration Case before Fair Work Australia, an historic wages case to rectify decades of undervaluing of social and community services workers, many of whom are care workers. The case also serves as way to re-engage in related issues around the valuing of care in Australia.

The second part of the paper considers the relevance of care policies in Nordic countries to Australia.