News

Thursday, 21 January 2021

Arrangements for maintenance of provisions of Copied State Home Care Award beyond 21 February 2021


Transfer – Jan 2021 (PDF version)

Expiry of copied state award

Since your employment with Australian Unity Home Care Service you have continued to maintain your entitlements under the Crown Employees (Home Care Service of New South Wales – Administrative Staff) Award 2012.

It was the intention of Australian Unity and the CPSU NSW to negotiate an Enterprise Agreement to replace the Crown Award during 2020. However, the disruption of COVID-19 meant this did not progress as planned.

Thus from 21 February 2021, because the provisions of the Fair Work Act limit the continuation of copied state awards to five years, you will be employed under the Social, Community, Home and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 and the preserved conditions will no longer apply.

Conditions to be maintained by contract variation

However, in accordance with employees’ wishes, the CPSU NSW and Australian Unity have agreed to find a means to preserve the more beneficial terms of the Crown Award to the extent that these are consistent with the SCHADS Award.

A proposed contract variation has been negotiated between Australian Unity and the CPSU NSW which will preserve the Crown Award conditions and incorporate SCHAD conditions where relevant and where they can be offset against the SCHADS Award without detriment.

What will happen next

Australian Unity will be contacting all affected employees and be providing them with a contract variation to sign which contain these provisions and which will remain in effect for 12 months or until an enterprise agreement is negotiated. If the contract is not signed, your conditions of employment will be those of the SCHADS Award.

One significant difference you will see is that you will be asked to enter into a separate individual flexibility agreement if you wish to continue to access Flexi time. This is because the SCHADS Award has no provision for this working arrangement.

Information for Home Care members

Australian Unity will be conducting information sessions with employees over the next month about the terms of the contract, and distributing material which has been discussed and agreed with the CPSU NSW.

The CPSU NSW will conduct Zoom sessions on 28 January at 3:00pm and 29 January at 11:00am.

HERE is the link for 28 Jan 3:00pm meeting.

HERE is the link for the 11:00am 29 Jan meeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meetings.

Specific questions can be emailed to .

Please include Home Care Contracts in the subject line.

Know someone who is not a member of the CPSU NSW?

Ask them to join online HERE.