Chaos – Nov 2020 (PDF version)
While most of the world has been watching an unfolding clown show on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, here at the CPSU NSW we have been inundated in recent days with a number of your industrial concerns and are working to resolve them. It is easiest here to compartmentalise them as best we can:
We heard rumours from some of you last week during our visit that Serco was considering implementing a new roster. Surely not, we said, not without the consultation they are obliged to undertake in the Award, and not after they had done this once before and we had raised their attention to it. Well strike us down, they have done it again. The CPSU NSW received more formal notification from a few of our members only yesterday of what Serco had proposed, and wrote in no uncertain terms that it was to not proceed. You can read the letter HERE.
After frantic negotiations today, Serco has agreed to consult regarding its proposed changes to the roster, which is after the fact and not in line with its obligations. However, Serco has indicated it is amenable to changes. The CPSU NSW will undertake discussions early next week and report back to members. In the intervening period can members please take the time to review the proposed roster for the next few weeks, note the changes and provide feedback to on how they may adversely impact on you. We will be looking to alleviate any unfair impacts on individual members and to ensure that important considerations such as minimum breaks and equitable distribution of shifts and consequent allowances are adhered to. No issue is too small and the more feedback we receive the better.
Frankly this is not good enough. Serco is a multinational corporation, not an a novice operating out of a car boot. We have made it very clear that we expect the provisions of the Award (and any future enterprise agreement) to be complied with, including its duties to properly negotiate with the relevant parties, not just making rushed and improper announcements at staff meetings. If our consultation is inadequate, we will have no hesitation pursuing your rights in the Fair Work Commission.
The CPSU NSW has been flooded with serious and valid concerns from its members regarding your safety concerns at work; particularly staffing, communications, breaks and security. The correct mechanism to raise these concerns is usually through your Health and Safety Representatives (HSRs). It appears, and would be indicative of a lack of commitment towards the issue, that this has not yet occurred some six months after opening… and if it has then the process was faulty. We have written to Serco to demand it informs us of what legislative steps it has complied with or when it intends to do so. You can read the letter HERE.
Once this Committee is operative we intend to feed these valid concerns to it, and failing action, pursue it through other channels.
Another equally serious issue is the KABA system of logging on and off, and the access to breaks. This is arguably a wage theft issue, and may result in back pay being owed to a significant number of staff. Members can see that we have written to Serco some weeks ago about this issue. See the letter HERE. At this stage no answer has been forthcoming and should this issue not be addressed, it will be referred to the relevant authorities. You work hard enough in a dangerous job for long hours without being asked to essentially donate additional time on a daily basis.
The CPSU NSW was alerted by some of you of an internal nomination process for what had been dubbed a ‘JCC’. The ‘J’ in industrial terms usually stands for ‘Joint’, as it is a tripartite committee made up of the employer, employees and unions. However, in this instance your union had not been notified or invited. Without the CPSU NSW there, nor an enterprise agreement providing the Committee powers, this is a Mickey Mouse process and not something staff should put any faith in. We have asked for it to be retracted and a proper process that would comply with the Award be established. In the meantime, ignore it.
Speaking of which, we are approaching a critical mass in terms of membership that requires us to have Delegates. A Delegate will be your elected peer whose responsibilities will include collating information from you, feeding it to staff at the union, and communicating messages back, as well as attending meetings and negotiations with management. Training and leave will be provided. You will receive a nomination form towards the end of this month if you are interested, and we would encourage all members to consider taking on this role.
Additionally, members will soon be receiving a survey link to help establish a log of claims for when enterprise bargaining commences. We anticipate this will be by the end of November. This ensures we are advocating for the issues that you care the most about rather than what we think you care about. Please follow the link and take the time to complete it, as our position will be stronger for your participation.
With all of these issues afoot, it is vitally important that we maintain communication channels. If you haven’t already, please follow our Facebook pages, our Twitter feed and our webpage for additional information. Also encourage colleagues to apply at cpsunsw.org.au/join.
