News

Friday, 11 June 2021

Clarence Correctional Centre: Enterprise Bargaining update


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You would be aware through previous bulletins of the pause on the Enterprise Bargaining for Correctional Case Officers in recent weeks.

The CPSU NSW had advised Serco that it was intending to pursue an application in the Fair Work Commission to include Correctional Supervisors in the agreement. In response, Serco halted negotiations, saying it needed the matter resolved before it could proceed. 

Whilst the CPSU NSW was confident the application would succeed, Serco’s legalistic response meant this was likely to take months. 

After consultation with its members in the classification, the CPSU NSW advised Serco in writing that Correctional Supervisors would no longer seek to covered by the CCO agreement and that we were available to resume enterprise bargaining.  You can see this correspondence HERE.

Serco has now agreed to meet again on Tuesday 15 June 2021. 

The approach by Serco to Enterprise Bargaining, whether intentional or not, could have effectively pitted the interests of the CCO and CS groups against each other. To your true credit, you stuck together under this pressure. Many Supervisors indicated they would prefer not to delay the CCO agreement, and equally many CCOs indicated to us they were willing to wait to have Supervisors included. Your solidarity puts you in good stead moving forward. 

Serco has repeatedly vocalised an intent to finalise the CCO EA as a priority, but its actions have not matched its words. We hope that on Tuesday it produces a meaningful and realistic offer that compensates you for your work fairly. 

Correctional Supervisors

Following Serco’s stubborn and counter-intuitive refusal to include them, Correctional Supervisors have unanimously elected to pursue their own Enterprise Agreement. 

There is no reason to wait for the CCO agreement to be completed before negotiations towards a CS one commence. A company the size of Serco can manage the two negotiations simultaneously. 

Nor can there be any confidence in Serco’s verbal undertakings that it will do so on its own accord.  Remember we are only negotiating for the CCOs because employees demanded it. 

Supervisors, now it is your turn to demand the same. 

A petition is available through our CPSU NSW delegates and at the union’s Grafton District Office. This will serve as evidence of your support for an Enterprise Agreement. Please add your signature over the next week and the CPSU NSW can apply at the Commission if necessary to bring Serco to the table.