ADHC International Women’s day and discrimination case – June 2016 (PDF version)
As members would know, Family and Community Services (FACS) put out a communication to all staff on International Women’s Day. This day celebrates the contributions of women around the world.
With a cruel privatisation hanging over their heads Public Service Association (PSA) members were upset to receive a message from the Department Secretary that was at odds with the Government’s actions.
This privatisation will force a predominantly female workforce into a lower paid and less regulated private sector against their will. This is a tricky and nasty way to attack the rights of women.
General Secretary Anne Gardiner wrote to FACS Secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter to express the PSA’s concern and dismay at the stark difference between words and actions.
You can read that letter HERE.
We have since received a response from the department which you can read HERE.
PSA action on a potentially discriminatory transfer
Your union was seeking to have what we view as a discriminatory transfer package lodged in the Australian Human rights Commission on behalf of members. We have been in the process of seeking in-depth legal advice and developing the strategy for our case.
On Friday 17 June the Baird Government passed a regulation (the Regulation) under the Government Sector Employment Act (GSE) which extinguishes the right of any NSW public sector worker to be entitled to redundancy or severance payments where privatisations occur and so called “comparable employment” is available.
We will now be carefully considering this new and appalling regulation and what impact (if any) it might have on a potential discrimination case the privatisation of disability services.
For media on this issue, read The Sydney Morning Herald article HERE.
For more information on what actions the PSA is taking to combat the Regulation generally, click HERE.
What can you do?
- Give a copy of this bulletin to your colleagues
- Print this bulletin and put it up on your notice board
- Ask a colleague to join the PSA through our Member Reward Program
Update and Connect with the PSA
If you have moved home or work location, or you have changed your contacts, please update your membership details HERE.