Community and disability workers say they are undervalued and overworked, filing a historic claim for a huge wage boost.
Australian Services Union workers gathered at the Fair Work Commission in Melbourne on Wednesday, lodging a claim seeking up to a 35 per cent pay rise for 300,000 workers across the nation.
Community lawyer Agata Nabaglo described the claim as an absolute necessity.
She is the main provider for her family and told reporters she was considering leaving the job she loves because of her low wage.
"I won't be able to provide for my family and likely I will need to leave the sector if things don't change," she said.
"Community workers deserve to have our skills and contributions recognised."
ASU national secretary Emeline Gaske described the claim as a landmark day for workers.
She said the workforce, overwhelmingly made up of women, had been undervalued and underpaid for decades.
"We surveyed our members and what they told us was stark," she said.
"More than half say they cannot get ahead financially. One in three won't have enough to retire on.
"As the sector continues to grow and demand for workers is surging, we cannot afford to lose workers because pay is failing to keep up with the cost of living. Something has to give, and that something is pay."
The union will present its case to the Fair Work Commission on Wednesday, with Ms Gaske saying historic undervaluation will only improve with a 35 per cent pay rise.
Jobs and Skills Australia data suggests the sectors will grow by 23 per cent by 2035.
The union found 29 per cent of community workers reported borrowing money from family or friends to meet basic living costs, and 13 per cent said they skipped meals due to a shortage of money.
"Four in 10 community and disability workers are planning to leave their role in the next twelve months. The turnover in the sector is more than five times the national average," Ms Gaske said.
The claim comes as the federal government continues to defend significant cuts to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which advocates have criticised.
Under the overhaul, which the government hopes to pass through parliament in the coming weeks, a single federal minister may have the power to cut support as they see fit.
The reforms are expected to reduce NDIS participant numbers to 598,000 by 2030/31, about a third of what was previously projected without the changes.
