Rest home workers going without

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Mon, 18 Jul 2011 7:00p.m.

Rest home workers are often paid a pittance for a very important job, sometimes just over the minimum wage.

Workers at a Palmerston North rest home are in a dispute over getting paid at all.

While the old and new managers of their rest home argue over who should pay out entitlements due last March, the 13 women are short by $31,000 collectively.

Whena Owen met the women of Kareena Rest Home.

Watch the video.

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Comments

16 Oct 2011 01:02p.m.

carryn wrote:

the labour department have replied to our request for help -and because of a page and ½ of companies waiting to be paid what they are owed from Chris Holmes - its now out of their hands...so there goes any chance of our pay-out...I wonder what happened and where did the money go that was paid into the accounts of chris holmes and who has benefited from it ????.it sure isnt the workers of the rest home.....I now wonder if there could be a case of fraud ?????......but hey - what do i know....I'm only a care giver doing her best for our elderly.....

26 Jul 2011 12:58p.m.

carryn wrote:

since the showed aired - we havent heard from Chris Holmes at all...The staff received alot of support from whanau and friends - and that is what keeps us 'hoping' that some good will come out of the interview....we live in hope.!!!!!

20 Jul 2011 09:34p.m.

carryn wrote:

Debbie - thanks for showing that you care for the elderly..and yes I agree with what you have said....I did a 12month course - got my NZQA level 3 - but we dont seem to get paid for our qualifications - and yet i know that if you walk in off the street - some rest homes will hire you.....I love what I do - and i love the elderly.....

19 Jul 2011 07:16p.m.

carryn wrote:

Sam - i find your comments way out of line...and quite rude in regards to the 'granny death' comment...the union had nothing to do with what we went through under chris holmes so called management....no contracts were signed before chris left - but we were informed that our back pay would be paid out....perhaps we should have asked what year.....

19 Jul 2011 05:06p.m.

Debbie wrote:

This is not an isolated incident. Just about every privately owned resthome in nz runs for profit not the residents or staff. The staff protect residents from alot of decisions made by company directors and have to follow policies that are sometimes impossible to follow. Resthomes shouldnt be run for profit they should be run for the benefit of our elderly and the staff who are ultimately responsible for them. Diversional Therapists, cooks, cleaners and Health Care Assistants are asked to perform without question for next to nothing. The government can step in but wont. These are jobs that not everyone could do it takes a special person to work with the elderly and to have a dirctor turn around and deny you your worth and what is rightfully yours is a disgrace.

19 Jul 2011 11:06a.m.

Sam wrote:

Sounds like the DHB and investors collaborated with the company for a spot of debt vanishing shell-game fun at the Union's expense. Ironically probably instigated and fueled by union complaints and the workers signing the new contracts before they received the old settlement. Somebody in the pile probably gambled on a few windfall granny deaths covering the entitlements.

18 Jul 2011 09:00p.m.

JohnT wrote:

Yet again we see someone hiding behind a legal entity to avoid their obligations. What does someone have to do before the Companies Office deems them unsuitable to own or direct yet more companies?