Childcare worker Sulochana Rajan sues local council in Melbourne

62-year-old Sulochana Rajan sues local council in Melbourne after children leave her ‘unable to continue’ work

Source: AAP

62-year-old Sulochana Rajan, has spent over two decades working as a childcare worker.

But now she claims that ‘frequently lifting children and bending and handling them’ has left her with an injured back.

She says she can no longer continue working and has been forced into retirement.

In a statement of claim, Ms Rajan says she has worked for the council and cared for children at her St Kilda East home in Melbourne from 1990 till May 2010. She left work because she was ‘unable to continue’ she claims.  

Her medical expenses were covered and paid under Accident Compensation Act, Herald Sun wrote.

But now she is suing the City of Port Phillip for loss of earnings and damages. Ms Rajan told the Herald Sun that she “had no intentions of retiring early and wished to work well into her 60s if not beyond”.

She has filed a statement of claim in the Supreme Court.

She claims council should have warned her. She has alleged the council was negligent by allowing repetitive bending and lifting, by failing to devise, implement or enforce a system to prevent it, and by failing to assess the risks or warn her of them.

She has also alleged that council failed to provide adequate assistance or train her to undertake her duties safely, properly supervise her, and support her with specialist therapists to minimise the risk of injury to her spine.

Janelle Bryce, Manager, Family, Youth and Children at Port Phillip Council told SBS Hindi, “Port Phillip Council takes its employees’ occupational health and safety very seriously. We cannot comment specifically on these claims as the case is before the courts.”