As members may be aware, Australian Unity (AU) commenced negotiations with bargaining representatives in August this year. This was with the aim of putting in place an Enterprise Agreement that would cover all care administration employees who directly support the delivery of services in the Residential Communities, Home Care, Disability Services and Indigenous Services businesses. This involved bringing together employees from a diverse background of workplace arrangements, including those covered by existing awards, agreements and individual contracts, such as transferred Crown Employees.
The CPSU NSW set out to:
We are pleased to advise that we largely achieved these aims and have reached an in-principle agreement with Australian Unity.
Many of our members are presently on 12-month individual contracts, which preserve many of the terms and conditions of previous State-Based Awards. In the absence of an Enterprise Agreement being in place, once these contracts expire, former Crown Employees would find themselves on far inferior conditions as they transitioned to the relevant Modern Award (SCHADs). The CPSU NSW has secured the maintenance of the majority of existing conditions and has ensured that no employee will go backwards in pay, despite the expiration of individual contracts.
Bringing together a group of employees on such a diverse range of pay rates was always going to prove challenging. Despite AU initially proposing a pay freeze for transferred staff while all other EA covered employees would receive two per cent, the CPSU NSW fought hard to secure one per cent for those former Crown Employees on higher rates of pay. Additionally, AU wanted to remove Annual Leave Loading for all employees. However, at the CPSU NSW’s insistence, AU agreed to reinstate the 17.5 per cent loading for annual leave.
You have told us that the presently unsustainable level of workload needed to be addressed. We have had discussions with AU on this issue. Discussions have included ongoing projects to address your concerns. Importantly, it has been agreed to incorporate into the EA a mechanism which allows the CPSU NSW, as your representative body, ongoing dialogue and consultation specifically regarding workload issues and more broadly, on any other issues you would like to see addressed.
We have been facilitating ongoing meetings with our CPSU NSW EA Advisory Group which is made up of delegates and members across a number of AU branches. This group was established in order to guide our negotiations at the bargaining table. After careful consideration of the current offer and potential alternatives, your advisory group, delegates and the CPSU recommends voting yes to this proposal.
We will be coming to you next week with more details of the proposal and a schedule of online meetings for members during which we will explain all components of the deal and will answer any of your questions.
It is anticipated your employer will be seeking your approval by vote in the week commencing 8 November.
If you have any question about the above or any other issues, please contact the CPSU NSW.
Ask them to join the CPSU NSW HERE
