Your Aruma Delegates Committee (DC) was held 11 May 2023. Your delegates meet quarterly to discuss any concerns that have been raised by members with your delegates. Aruma DC provides an opportunity for your CPSU NSW industrial staff to consult with DC delegates and exchange information and share experiences gained across Aruma’s Group Homes.
The 11 May 2023 Aruma DC discussed the following matters:
Enterprise Agreement
the ongoing enterprise agreement (EA) negotiations and what it means for us moving forward.
a number of your previous, hard won entitlements under the now defunct Community Living Award (CLA) which may be under threat in the new EA, including:
Sleepover shifts
Proposed reduction in payment from 5 hours in the CLA to 3.5hrs as per the existing HWNS EA.
A clear definition of what constitutes a disturbance on sleepover shifts.
Defining fair compensation to you for a disturbance during your sleepover shift.
Shift penalty rates
The difference between the CLA award and EA
Breaks between shifts
Operation of a mandatory 8hr break between shifts vs a 10hr break between shifts
A new Fatigue Management Policy to be introduced to assist Aruma with meeting its work health and safety obligations to you as a staff member and to ensure those you support are in safe hands.
Shift Bidding
Issues around the current shift bidding processes and how in some areas it appears to be disadvantaging some staff based on MSL decisions.
We discussed how the rostering principles should always be followed and we encourage you to speak with one of your delegates or organisers if you believe you have been disadvantaged due to this process.
Career path and recognition
Present system has artificial and arbitrary barriers to the incremental progression compared with the CLA Award
Build in recognition for experience, qualifications, skillsets and dedication into pay structure for new EA
Building networks across Aruma
strategies for your CPSU NSW bargaining representatives to network and improve information flow so they can best advocate for what is fair and equitable in Aruma as a workplace.
Your delegates discussed how we can better support you by becoming more connected and sharing our stories from across the organisation which may help us improve support to you better in your area.
We discussed the rumours that are travelling around Aruma and how we can correct “misinformation”. An electronic copy of “The Aruma Mill” accompanies this bulletin HERE. The Aruma Mill should help dispel the “misinformation” circulating across Aruma.
We encourage you to have discussions with the members in your team and/or your delegates.
If someone you work with isn’t a union member than consider having a discussion with them about the benefits of been in the CPSU Union.
Just remember: the “C” in CPSU NSW means “Community”. CPSU NSW is not simply about the public service. We cover many other community workers including in the disability sector.
CPSU NSW can represent ALL workers from ANY of Aruma’s sites in NSW.
The next Aruma EA Meeting is 17 May 2023.
CPSU NSW will be holding a members meeting on the 24 May 2023 to report back to members progress and developments.
All members are welcome to participate as the meeting will be online via MSTeams.
