News

TAFE: WHS issues during COVID-19

The CPSU NSW wrote to TAFE NSW Managing Director Steffen Faurby on 2 April 2020 advising of ongoing Work, Health and Safety risks faced by TAFE staff. The letter and bulletin to members can be read HERE and HERE.

On the afternoon of Friday 3 April Steffen Faurby MD responded to your union’s letter, and can be read HERE.

As a result of CPSU NSW members standing strong, TAFE NSW is now paying greater attention to implementing WHS measures to protect staff.

The union is of the view that the 10 measures outlined in Annexure A at the bottom of TAFE’s  letter, are appropriate.  However, the union has had concerns that some of these measures have either not been implemented properly or often not quickly enough.

The CPSU NSW will be meeting with the TAFE Managing Director and other TAFE Management representatives this afternoon. In the meantime, the union will be working through additional measures that TAFE needs to adopt – in the same way we have been doing specifically for libraries over the past two weeks – and put those measures to the Managing Director at this meeting.

Your union will be seeking that, TAFE immediately write to all students directing them not to attend campuses and provide them with details of the how they can access TAFE services and resources remotely.

Other additional measures that the CPSU NSW will propose, include:

• Where possible areas of the campus which are open should be taped and marked to assist staff, students and others to comply with social distancing.
• Signs put up in areas to indicate how many people can be in the area at one time.
• Posters outlining social distancing and hand hygiene should be clearly displayed. Where it is unpractical to access washing of hands, hand sanitiser is to be provided.

The union wants to work collaboratively with TAFE and hold it to account on what it says it is doing/will do to bring about the safest working environment for staff.

.The CPSU NSW advises members to email your delegate or call the Member Support Centre (MSC), quoting #129342, if:

• Your workplace is denying you the option of working from home (if you believe your role can reasonably be carried out from home)
• Adequate amounts of hand sanitisers and/or PPE (gloves) are not distributed at your workplace
• Cleaning is not being undertaken regularly of shared equipment.

Finally, we are in unprecedented times with the COVID-19 global pandemic.

If you are concerned about your Work, Health and Safety and if a situation arises in which such a risk becomes apparent, our strong advice is to please call the CPSU NSW Member Support Centre for advice and assistance.

Industrial Officer
Matthew Drake-Brockman

Organisers
Shane Jobberns
Chris Bird

Your CPSU NSW delegates

South Region

Wollongong
Brad Cowie

Illawarra
Regina Kimmich
Chris Pickering

Albury
Christopher Hobbins

West Region

Parkes
Leanne Riley

Dubbo
Patricia Nethery

Hunter
Gale Iseppi

Tighes Hill
Liz Garlick

Newcastle
Stephen O’Brien

Coffs Harbour
Brook Down

North
Walter Upson –

Sydney Region

Ultimo
Dawn Davis
George Bissoli
Simon Gray

St Leonards
Joe Harris

Hornsby
Patrick Kiss

Western Sydney Region

Campbelltown
Tracey Doyle

West Sydney
Joanna Carroll

Blue Mountains
Glenda Pryor

Strathfield
Isabella Ramirra

TAFE Digital

Jin Cho