Aged care support worker Gemini Chamberlain said her majority female workforce were in the middle of equity negotiations when the Equal Pay Amendment Act was passed in May.
The law change lifted the bar for pay equity claims, requiring a workforce to have been at least 70% female over the last decade, up from 60%.
The negotiations have ended now and Ms Chamberlain said they have come away with nothing.
After marching on MP Joseph Mooney’s office in May, the support worker, alongside fellow carers and union representatives, was again protesting the change.
The small group met in the Eccles St playground on Sunday and invited others to come and discuss pay equity issues in their workforce.
Ms Chamberlain said despite the law change, she and her fellow workers were told to keep bargaining.
Ms Chamberlain and home support worker Pam King said most of their co-workers were on or close to minimum wage.
"Now we're near on minimum wage and we've got qualifications," Ms Chamberlain said.
"How is that legal?"
Ms Chamberlain said she continued in this line of work because somebody had to.
"Who's going to look after our elderly?" she said.
Who was going to look after them in return, when they were old, Ms King said.
The workers wanted the government to recognise their industry and how vital their role was in the community.
"So what we're asking for is the government to actually see us and not just sweep us under the rug and decide that we're not worthy," Ms Chamberlain said.
