http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/louise-tarrant/ Louise Tarrant is a lifelong unionist who is now leading United Voice, one of Australia’s largest unions. Louise is passionate about the issues that affect her members, such as low pay, insecurity and lack of respect at work. Under her leadership, United Voice has emerged as one of the country’s most progressive and innovative commentators on social, economic and industrial issues. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/such-little-value-placed-on-such-a-crucial-role/ Only a couple of generations ago, it was normal for Australian families to take care of their older members right to the end of their lives. Our parents and grandparents fed, clothed, loved and cared for us, gave us everything we needed to make our way in life and then, when they reached an age where they in turn needed close care, we repaid them by taking them into our homes and looking after them until their dying days. The world has changed a lot since then. Far more typical now is for the frail and elderly to enter an aged care facility - or even more commonly depend on community care workers visiting them at home. We hope they will get the best of care from dedicated professional staff and enjoy good quality of life despite the many afflictions that old age can bring: illness, injuries, dementia, failing faculties. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Louise Tarrant) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/such-little-value-placed-on-such-a-crucial-role/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/such-little-value-placed-on-such-a-crucial-role/#item8023 Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:45:12 +0000 Louise Tarrant | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/By-2065-well-need-4-times-more-aged-care-workers/ By mid-century Australia will need almost one million aged care workers. That means almost five per cent of our entire national workforce will be engaged in caring for the burgeoning ranks of the old and frail. Yet, today, we are struggling to maintain an aged care workforce just one quarter that size, leaving many vulnerable, elderly Australians at the mercy of rushed, impersonal “work flows” and a constantly changing roster of carers—and raising the dreadful prospect of “warehousing” the aged into the future, with little more than perfunctory physical care. This should not come as a surprise. The entry level award wage for personal carers, for example, is significantly lower than the award for new zookeepers charged with the well being of animals. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Louise Tarrant) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/By-2065-well-need-4-times-more-aged-care-workers/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/By-2065-well-need-4-times-more-aged-care-workers/#item6513 Wed, 17 Aug 2011 19:55:14 +0000 Louise Tarrant | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ordinary-aussies-need-to-be-heard-on-carbon-tax/ It seems that everyone is having their say on the impact of a carbon tax on low income earners, except low income earners themselves, the “ordinary” Australian workers on very modest rates of pay. I’m not referring to the $150K “middle-class battlers” of the Budget debate fretting over mortgages and private school fees, but the 20 per cent of the Australian workforce in low paid jobs, who may be taking home just $25K or $35K, and for whom a poorly designed carbon tax may be one blow too many to the family budget. United Voice represents over 120,000 of Australia’s lowest paid workers in industries like aged care, child care, cleaning, hospitality, tourism and security. We know what “cost of living” pressures really mean, because it is our members whose low pay forces them into making tough decisions like forgoing doctor’s visits or no longer buying meat, even on a full-time wage. When there’s already nothing left at the end of the week - and while many of our jobs remained casualised and insecure - what will a price on carbon mean? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Louise Tarrant) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ordinary-aussies-need-to-be-heard-on-carbon-tax/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ordinary-aussies-need-to-be-heard-on-carbon-tax/#item6131 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:45:35 +0000 Louise Tarrant | Author bios | The Punch