CPSU NSW and Northcott Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting 12 December 2018 (PDF version)
In this update:
On Wednesday 12 December 2018, the CPSU NSW met with Northcott for the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting to discuss matters commonly affecting union members working for Nothcott. Your Northcott CPSU NSW Delegates, supported by the union’s industrial staff, attended the JCC in the Parramatta office to represent you and your fellow members’ interests.
The JCC is an ongoing consultative committee where union members at Northcott are able to discuss issues with management regarding workplace matters of mutual and common interest. It is the required avenue for formal consultation and is a feature of your Copied State Award that continues to apply after your Transfer from ADHC.
Attending the JCC for the employer and employees were:
CPSU NSW Members and Northcott are currently in dispute around the lack of consultation on the introduction of unpaid meal breaks. Your union representatives met with the management representatives on Tuesday 27 November 2018 regarding your dispute.
A good number of members contributed information to your union representatives and management regarding the subject of members’ dispute, being the introduction of unpaid lunch breaks. This has now been delayed to allow for some genuine and meaningful consultation to take place.
The commitment to ongoing consultation with staff, members and the union was again affirmed at the December JCC meeting. Northcott stated clearly that it is now listening to feedback as to why breaks aren’t suitable for their clients, and giving it genuine consideration before making any decisions.
This means that, and has been demonstrated, if you have genuine concerns about the introduction of breaks and the impact they may have on your clients or your own health and safety, put it in writing and provide it to:
Delegates raised on behalf of members again how the WHS Committee and HSRs appear to be not as visible as they should be. Northcott advised there was a sudden loss of staff in this area and it had to try to fill the positions. It has recruited a new WHS Officer who has recently started and is starting to become more active. If you have concerns around WHS issues, then please follow the Northcott process and lodge your concerns.
If there is no follow up by Northcott, contact your Union’s Member Support Centre on 1300 772 679.
Conditions of Employment – Rostering Principles
Members had voiced concerns with their Delegates that ‘add hours’ are being offered to casual and agency staff before being offered to permanent transferred staff. As this is against the rostering principles in your Copied State Award, the CPSU NSW is adamant that add hours need to be provided to permanent part time staff, including those under the copied state award(s), before casuals or agency.
Your CPSU NSW also raised incidents where Part Time Transferred Staff are being declined permanent increases in Core Hours and have been directed to contact HR to “discuss options”. The Staff are then being advised that if they agree swap to another position covered by the Northcott Enterprise Agreement, they will get the increase in hours.
CPSU-NSW has raised this as a matter of serious concern as it may be a major breach of the Fair Work Act. To progress this issue there will be a separate meeting with Northcott Management and the CPSU-NSW in the coming weeks.
If you have been declined an application to increase in core hours due to being on the Community Living Award, or you are or know agency staff who are getting ‘add hours’ in preference to you, please provide a written statement to us outlining what occurred. Send your draft Statement . As with the unpaid breaks, the more information you provide to your Union, the better our position.
The dates for next year’s JCC meetings will be advised shortly as we will be setting them for the year.
If you have any industrial issues you believe should be raised by the CPSU NSW at the next JCC, please forward details to your delegate or by writing to
If you don’t have a local Delegate and would like to become more involved with the CPSU NSW and your workplace, please contact your CPSU NSW Organiser or the Member Support Centre on
1300 772 679
Ask your colleagues to stand with you by joining CPSU NSW today. They can join online at www.cpsunsw.org.au/join
If you want an Organiser to attend your team meetings, please email or
