The Health Services Union will bring a landmark work value case before the Fair Work Commission on Thursday, hoping to lift wages for aged care workers by 25 percent.
If the case is successful, more than 200,000 staff in the aged care sector would see their pay increase by at least five dollars an hour - a qualified personal carer would see their base hourly rate jump from $23.09 to $28.86.
The union is also attempting have specialist carers in areas such as dementia or palliative care recognised.
HSU President Gerard Hayes said aged care workers have suffered from underpayment and insecure work for too long and deserved to be "recognised and paid for their skills."
"4 in 10 people plan on leaving aged care within the next two to three years, because it's just not sustainable," Mr Hayes said. "People are working two or three jobs to be able to make ends meet because they can't just work in one facility."
"There's a whole of these issues that have been exemplified in real time, throughout the Royal Commission, and if we're not doing something immediately, then I think it's an indictment on the society that we have."
Recent modelling by the HSU has claimed a 0.65 percent rise in the Medicare levy would raise $20.4 billion and provide the necessary funds to accommodate both the pay rise and an additional 59,000 jobs in the aged care sector.
"The Federal Government cannot keep hiding behind the Aged Care Royal Commission," Mr Hayes said. "We need action immediately."
