The CPSU NSW is having a meeting to consult with members about Enterprise Bargaining.
The meeting will be held at 4:00pm on Thursday, 16 November 2023.
Please join us!
The Aruma Enterprise Bargaining Committee met on Wednesday 1 November 2023. The main items discussed were around:
This is unsustainable and CPSU NSW is mindful that Aruma can’t continue to operate at a loss.
Regardless, the wages bill is Aruma’s problem, not the worker’s.
Your CPSU NSW bargaining representatives will remain vigilant that Aruma does not pursue a race to the bottom. We reject any notion that our members should be worse off on pay day simply to make pay systems align for the ease of Aruma.
The conditions CPSU NSW members enjoy are superior to those negotiated in the NGOs prior to privatisation of NSW disability services. If anything, now that privatisation has concluded, Aruma’s workforce should be brought up to the levels CPSU NSW members enjoy after years of hard-fought battles.
This effectively means that long-term employees who are invested in supporting the residents in group homes have their wages capped by the NDIA. We know that some DSWs are progressed to Level 3, however, this is top secret, ad hoc, and in a lot of cases, based on personality.
Your CPSU NSW bargaining representative maintain that the only way for Aruma to remain viable in attracting and retaining workers is to enshrine a career path in the next Enterprise Agreement. If you’ve been trained, gained qualifications and many years of real world experience in supporting the disabled during your career, this should be recognised financially as well as professionally.
Other bargaining agents don’t seem to believe there is any merit in incremental progression for Aruma workers. During bargaining, we were told an example of a worker with 27 years’ employment who should be denied an incremental pay rise because they can’t use email systems.
In 2023, it is shocking that any Aruma employee is unable to use email systems after 27 years of employment.
Let’s not forget, the core functions of Aruma and its employees, regardless of where they work in the company, is primarily care and support of NDIS participants. In our view, the fact that someone who may provide exceptional support to the residents in their group home but can’t send an email is not a valid reason to deny them an incremental pay rise.
Further, this example supports the CPSU NSW position that Aruma should undertake a skills audit of all staff each year.
If an annual skills audit was in place, any employee unable to use email should be picked up and would allow for Aruma to provide appropriate training to upskill an employee in this situation.
Key elements of the clause are women who are having trouble during menstruation or menopause will be entitled to support at work and will have access to paid leave. The CPSU NSW is asking Aruma for its women workers to be paid three days leave per month if they are facing troublesome health issues with menstruation or menopause.
This leave is an important inclusion to the next Aruma enterprise agreement as the disability support workforce largely relies on women across the sector.
The CPSU NSW would like to see a progressive employer like Aruma acknowledging the unique circumstances menstruation and menopause presents for women workers. We’ll keep you posted on developments.
CPSU NSW continue to meet with the Federal Government and remain committed to influencing government to provide funding levels that not only support the most vulnerable members of our community, but those workers who support them in challenging circumstances.
Next Aruma members meeting
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 448 224 341 161
Passcode: MVPKAs
Thane Pearce *
Industrial Manager
Anthony Wright *
Industrial Officer
Vivette Horrex
Metro Organiser
Alex Sala
Metro Organiser
* Your CPSU NSW Aruma Enterprise Agreement 2023 Bargaining Representatives
Call the PSA CPSU NSW Member Support Centre on 1300 772 679
