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CPSU NSW Aruma Enterprise Bargaining Bulletin – November 2023

Aruma Enterprise Bargaining Update

The Aruma enterprise bargaining committee met on Wednesday 22 November 2023. The main items discussed were around:

• Sleepover vs Active night shift – we continue to work through this issue with Aruma and the other stakeholders.

CPSU NSW position is to try and maintain the status quo with the shift penalties, an enhanced claim for sleepover shift payments along with an improved disturbance allowance.

CPSU NSW clearly put that if some form of electronic monitoring is required for residents, the union’s preference is for there to be an active night shift in place in the group home.

Naturally, Aruma is concerned that the NDIS prefers to fund sleepovers.

• Harmonising penalty rates and other loadings – While agreement on this element remains subject to discussion, based on the information to hand, NSW penalty rates align precisely with the SCHaDS Award regarding Public Holiday, Saturday and Sunday shift penalty rate.

A premium is currently applied to Afternoon Shift (2.5%) and Night Shift (15%) above those penalty rates in the SCHaDS Award.

CPSU NSW understands our membership wish to retain these premiums and we await further submissions from Aruma on this issue. As is the CPSU NSW way, consultation around any proposal to change this entitlement will be brought to the membership for consideration and feedback.

• Menstruation and Menopause Leave and Support – As advised in our previous bulletin HERE.

• CPSU NSW drafted a clause on Menstruation and Menopause Leave and Support. This draft clause has been lodged and was discussed during the recent bargaining meeting.

In summary, CPSU NSW is seeking 3 days paid leave per month, totalling 36 days paid leave per year. CPSU NSW is seeking that a medical certificate is not required to access the leave. We raised that in some cultures, menstruation is a taboo subject which Aruma did take on board.

Aruma advised its workforce comprises some 90 distinct ethnicities from across the world. This makes Aruma one of the most culturally diverse and inclusive employers in the country.

During the bargaining meeting, Aruma agreed that some of its workers would be reluctant to have conversations around accessing this leave in the workplace. We were told that Aruma has mature systems and procedures in place by way of Domestic Violence Leave to protect the privacy of individuals. This could be adjusted for applying for menstruation and menopause leave, reducing the potential embarrassment for workers seeking to access this entitlement.

At the bargaining meeting, Aruma provided an in-principle agreement to include some form of paid leave into the new EA. While the quantum of leave is still to be decided, along with some finessing of the wording for the clause, Aruma’s in-principle agreement is a welcome development which CPSU NSW lauds.

Aruma is clearly an employer that seeks to have friendly work life balance provisions for its staff.

We’ll keep you updated as bargaining progresses.

• CPSU NSW liaison with the Federal Government – CPSU NSW continues to meet with Minister Shorten as part of the NDIS Workforce Dialogue.

In this space, CPSU NSW actively participates in the discussion that will assist good employers, like Aruma, provide workplace conditions which are fully funded by the NDIA to keep pace with employment arrangements that meet community expectations in the 21st Century.

It is the CPSU NSW’s position that positive and progressive entitlements, such as Gender Affirmation Leave and Menstruation and Menopause Leave and Support should be made available to workers in the disability sector as it will improve attracting and retaining employees in the sector.

Senior CPSU NSW industrial staff will continue to meet with Minister Shorten and make submissions aimed at ensuring the often difficult and challenging work in the disability sector is reasonably remunerated and facilitates adequate work life balance.