News

Aruma Enterprise Bargaining

Your CPSU NSW Aruma Enterprise Bargaining representatives continue to meet with Management and the ASU to discuss the new enterprise agreement.

Bargaining discussions are progressing and the main topics discussed at the last meeting included:

• Gender Affirmation Leave – there is in principle agreement that 10 days per year of non-cumulative paid leave will be available to employees seeking to affirm gender.

While this falls short of the CPSU NSW claim, Aruma has matched for profit employers like Coles, Woolworths, and the big four banks.

CPSU NSW appreciates Aruma’s commitment to be an inclusive employer who recognises diversity and aims to promote dignity and respect in the workplace.

• Sleepover shifts – this issue is by far the most discussed topic during the last few bargaining meetings. Last meeting, Aruma again invited its NDIS funding subject matter expert to provide insight to the bargaining representatives.

Aruma’s inclusion of guest subject matter experts is welcome, as an understanding of NDIS funding arrangements is critical for the CPSU NSW to advocate for fair and reasonable improvements to wages and conditions.

• Aruma
  • raised NDIS funding restrictions and discussions continue. The bargaining committee was advised that NDIS funding for sleepovers is $276.00. The wages bill for a sleepover is approximately $100.00. Where the differential goes is unknown.
  • advise that it currently pays 3.5 hours which is above the SCHaDS Award and there is no real appetite to pay more that currently being paid.
  • seeks to align NSW and Qld with the inferior provisions applicable in Victoria.
• CPSU NSW
  • log of claims seeks an increase in payment from 3.5 hours to 8 hours.
  • seeks to include a clear definition of what constitutes a disturbance on sleepover shifts.Your union believes that ANY disturbance, regardless of length or whether a resident requires support, should be paid.
  • aims to restrict sleepover shifts in preference for active night shifts.

Again there was discussion on how to influence improvements in NDIS funding with respect to residents who consistently require some form of attention during the nights, whether it is medical supports or not, to ensure that group homes which do not have active night shifts, can seek better funding.

Aruma has a structured system in place where it can ask for more funding for residents. This system includes Aruma’s Customer Planning Team who manage evidence of changed circumstances and make applications to the NDIA substantiating a need for increased funding. Aruma’s Customer Planning Team makes submissions to the NDIA and has a success rate in the high 90%’s which leads to funding improvements.

Members are reminded it is crucial that where residents do disturb you on a sleepover shift, you should use Aruma’s systems to make a report. This will help Aruma, down the track, to seek additional funding for active night shifts.

• Employees at Level 4 and above employees to be jettisoned from the next Enterprise Agreement – Aruma continue to press for employees at Level 4 and above to be removed from the Enterprise Agreement.

Regardless of the workplace, where an employer seeks to remove employees from the protections of a legally enforceable employment instrument, suspicion is bound to arise as to the employer’s motives and the potential risks and detriments to the employee.

Aruma argues that this would bring NSW and Qld employees at Level 4 and above in line with their Victorian counterparts. Aruma’s logic is that employees at Level 4 and above are “management” and should have separate arrangements as they are organisationally and operationally distinct.

In our view, Aruma’s logic is flawed because employees at Level 4 and above are still included in the SCHaDS Award which is the minimum standard for the disability sector.

CPSU NSW has stated it will not willingly agree to a race to the bottom. Aruma is relying on a Victorian Enterprise Agreement, that in many instances, has far less favourable conditions when compared to the Community Living Award or even the existing outdated HWNS 2013 enterprise agreement.

In the spirit of good faith bargaining, we’ve asked Aruma to share the common law contract template, along with the remuneration and rewards package information for consideration. Aruma has agreed to provide the CPSU NSW with this information.

Further, the  CPSU NSW has pressed that if Aruma can find funds to offer rewards to employees at Level 4 and above, it should be able to fund decent pay increases for those employees who are to be covered by the new Enterprise Agreement. This includes passing on FWC increases to CPSU NSW members who are on grand-parented rates of pay following the privatisation of disability support services in NSW.

Until the CPSU NSW has been provided with the information we’ve requested, and had an opportunity to consider and analyse that information, the CPSU NSW opposes Aruma’s plan for employees at Level 4 and above to be forced onto common law contracts.

Why does Aruma seek to cut employees at Level 4 and above out of the Enterprise Agreement?

In all honesty, we don’t know.

Please print this bulletin and place on your CPSU NSW Noticeboard.