ADHC members vote to fight on October 2015 (PDF version)

The NSW Baird Government has ignored all calls to maintain Ageing Disability and Home Care (ADHC) as a provider of services in the disability sector.

ADHC is the largest single provider of disability services in NSW. It is also the largest single employer in the sector.

ADHC staff are a highly trained and experienced workforce whose opinions and needs are being ignored by a Government intent on pursuing privatisation at all costs.

This poor attitude was again more recently demonstrated in a letter to ADHC clients from FACS deputy Secretary Jim Longley. This letter whitewashes the gaping problems already evident with the privatisation.

You can see the PSA’s response to Mr Longley’s letter HERE.

This is why the PSA recently issued a survey to members in ADHC asking members to vote on escalating action against this privatisation and its consequences for staff and clients.

The results are now in, with a whopping 92% of survey respondents agreeing to strike.

PSA ADHC delegates and staff have met and agreed on an action plan which will be rolled out across NSW in the coming months.

PSA ADHC members in the Hunter are meeting today at 4.30 to decide how the strike will be implemented in their district.

ADHC PSA Members interested in attending this meeting can access the details HERE.

The escalating action phase of our campaign is critical for keeping the pressure on this Government. Already media have shown an interest in this afternoon’s meeting in the Hunter on the strike.

PSA Organisers will shortly commence work with ADHC delegates from other ADHC districts to organise escalating action in your district.

If you would like to be directly involved in setting up these meetings for industrial action and you can arrange a meeting of at least eight people (members and/or non-members who are willing to join the union) please contact us by email .

Home Care update

On 28 August, the NSW Government announced that Australian Unity will take over the NSW Home Care Service from 2016. The Government confirmed that Home Care employees would be unilaterally transferred via Ministerial Order to the private employer. This removes the requirement for employee consent. The Government also confirmed that the transfer payment would stay at the new low of “up to” 8 weeks as agreed by United Voice. It then rejected our demand that a legal mechanism be provided for enforcement of their so called 2 year employment protection period. The announcement immediately led to an escalation in the PSA’s fight in Home Care to protect members’ rights with highly effective bans being implemented across the state. This well timed escalation led to some important outcomes.

Home Care campaign achievements so far….

The PSA’s campaign efforts in Home Care have now secured:

• A commitment from the incoming private operator Australian Unity, that it will not seek to negotiate a new enterprise agreement for the duration of the 2 year protection period.

• The protection of MEE policy redundancy entitlements post transfer.

• All leave entitlements and accruals to date will be transferred to the new employer, including sick leave.

In addition FACS have agreed to review the PSA submissions on extending non-Home Care Award employment conditions post-transfer.

What now for Home Care..?

• The PSA is now seeking independent legal advice on the enforceability of Australian Unity’s commitment that it won’t seek to negotiate a new enterprise agreement for the duration of the 2 year protection period.

• The PSA expects that FACS will advise its decision on whether or not it will extend non-Home Care Award employment conditions to members post-transfer at the next meeting of the transition working party to be held later in October.

PSA Home Care delegates and staff will report the outcomes of the above two points to PSA Home Care members as soon as practical. PSA members in Home Care can then choose whether or not to strike based on these outcomes.

The PSA’s A Real Choice campaign is being run across the whole of ADHC & Home Care. The campaign is seeking:

• A Real Choice for employees on whether to transfer to the private sector or access redeployment within the public sector or voluntary redundancy.

• A legally enforceable and fair transfer agreement, eg, the transfer payment for NSW Ferries employees was 30 weeks.

• A legal mechanism to ensure that members’ jobs and conditions are protected.

• To ensure that ADHC Clients can continue to choose ADHC as their provider of choice.

• To ensure that the new NDIS money is spent on building capacity in the disability sector, and not wasted on transferring what exists in ADHC to a less regulated and less experienced sector.