Send us your photos: 2025 PSA Schools Recognition Week
PSA Schools Recognition Week is our annual celebration of the vital work our members do for the NSW education system.
This year’s theme is Delivering Excellence in Schools, which is exactly what our members do, whether they are in the classroom, office or in the grounds. Our schools simply would not operate without you, the PSA members.
We want to see how you are celebrating your week. Whether it is a morning or afternoon tea, assembly, special lunch or a night out, send photos to so we can share it via social media with the rest of the state.
From everyone at your union, Happy PSA Schools Recognition Week.
Your union, the PSA has fought for workplace protections from sexual harassment for many years.
In recent years, advocacy from unions and other groups led to the Respect at Work report and subsequent bill which called for change in how sexual harassment is dealt with in the workplace; and for a positive duty to be placed on employers to prevent harassment occurring.
Some forms of sexual harassment are also criminal offenses. Sexual assault (commonly referred to in the community as rape and attempted rape), sexual touching without consent and other sexual acts without consent are serious criminal offenses.
There is no requirement that the unwelcome conduct be repeated; a one-off incident can be sexual harassment. A broader pattern of behaviour can also constitute sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment may be perpetrated by various people, including an employer, supervisor, co-worker, client, contractor, volunteer, patient or customer.
The PSA is conducting surveys of members to identify instances of sexual harassment in your workplaces. We invite you to participate in our survey
The Transport unions were back in the Industrial Relations Commission yesterday afternoon to continue conciliation of the dispute regarding the TfNSW proposal to cut 950 positions.
Following the previous conciliation on Thursday 28 August 2025, the unions submitted an updated list of questions for TfNSW to answer around their proposal, with emphasis placed on the continued use of labour hire across TfNSW whilst consultation was already occurring in a number of branches which would potentially result in the loss of positions of direct permanent employees. The unions also included questions that had previously been asked back on 8 August 2025. Whilst some of these questions had been answered in various formats throughout consultation, the unions strongly believed having a list of questions and answers in writing in the one document could only assist in conciliation of the dispute. All up, the unions provided a list of 123 questions for TfNSW to answer, including:
Questions on who determined the specific workforce reduction targets TfNSW have stated they need to find, and the operating model they are proposing
Questions on what risk assessment had been done in relation to the proposed loss of 950 positions at TfNSW
Questions on what other options had been explored other than cutting positions
Questions around the continued employment of over 1000 TSSE positions, whilst lower remunerated workers face the loss of their job before the end of the year
Questions on vacant positions
Question on fixed term positions
Questions on the continued use of labour hire
Questions on “Workplace Presence” changes and how this interacts with the proposal to cut jobs
Questions on what role external third parties, such as “specialist organisational designers” have played in the proposal
The unions also proposed a framework for resolving the dispute, including:
Identifying the issue (for example the need to find savings), confirming what would be in scope to solve the issue, agree to a jointly developed set of facts, identify common interests and issues, evaluate options, and agree to a set of timelines for solving the issues. The unions proposed that while the above was occurring, the status quo should remain, and no “detailed design” should occur.
Too many questions, no agreement on Unions framework
Whilst TfNSW did not object to working through some questions they agreed were relevant, such as labour hire, the number of questions provided, the majority on which they claimed have already been answered, was an issue for TfNSW in resolving the dispute.
There was also no agreement to resolve the dispute as per the framework the unions proposed, and TfNSW indicated they wanted to continue consultation on “detailed design” next week with additional branches.
Labour hire continues to be a relevant issue
A positive out of yesterday’s conciliation was an acceptance by TfNSW that they are prepared to re-examine labour hire positions, especially the 313 labour hire position not attached to Award or Senior Executive roles. Discussions around this will continue today. The PSA maintains that every labour hire position removed is an Award position saved. Similarly, we maintain that the vast majority of the savings TfNSW are seeking should come from the more than 1000 generously remunerated TSSE roles that continue in TfNSW, whilst lower remunerated Award staff face the loss of their jobs.
Further consultation with unions and exchange of information this week
In the interests of attempting to resolve the dispute, both parties committed to a further exchange of information. The unions indicated we are prepared to refine some of our questions, and TfNSW indicated they were prepared to answer questions that may have already been answered, however the issue of relevancy of the questions remained in dispute. Also in dispute is the issue of “status quo”, and whether further “detailed design” consultation can continue next week. A report back in the IRC is set for Friday 5 September, where these issues will be explored further with the assistance of the IRC.
NSW Premier’s Department: Finance and Operations Branch Change Proposal
On 28 August 2025 PSA members and Industrial Staff were briefed by Senior Departmental Officers in relation to a Finance & Operations Branch Organisation Change proposal – date stamped July 2025.
The proposal impacts staff within the Operations team refer Change management plan SEE HERE
In summary it is proposed:
Deleted roles
The proposed change will involve the abolishment of up to five (5) existing roles including:
Minor changes in role (no impact)
The proposed change will involve minor amendments to the following nine (9) roles including:
New roles
The proposed change will involve the establishment of up to seven (7) roles including:
On the face of it there seems little rationale as to why this proposal is being considered and is quite baffling based on current member feedback.
With the fact that this proposal has been sitting in someone’s in tray since July the PSA will be seeking an extension to the current proposed feedback period to enable proper consultation.
Meeting Details
A members meeting will occur on Friday 5 September 2025 via teams refer following details:
Microsoft Teams
Meeting ID: 473 572 971 703 2
Passcode: Aw2ps6U2
Members who wish to provide the PSA with concerns or feedback forward to or 1800 772679 please quote, Case ID C10009659.
Restructures at Western Sydney University: We want your feedback
Your union, the CPSU NSW, is aware of the nine change proposals released last Friday as part of the ‘Reset Western’ Initiative. These span across:
Faculty of Social Science, Arts, Business, Education and Law (SABEL)
Faculty of Health
Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science (ECS)
Division of Western Sydney and External Engagement
Division of Research and Innovation
Division of the Provost
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
Division of Education and Students
Division of Operations
Consultation has commenced and closes on Friday, September 19. If you have feedback that you would like the CPSU NSW to submit, de-identified, on your behalf please send this to quoting reference number C10009675.
Please clearly indicate in your submission which change plan(s) you are providing feedback in relation to.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your Branch Delegates, who are here to assist with any workplace questions, provide advice and support, and advocate for your interests.
Delta Electricity is wanting to negotiate a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement and has requested to meet with the relevant union/s to begin the process.
You would have received the (NERR) Notice of Employee Representational Rights from Delta 28/08/2025 indicating your union will be at the negotiations table on your behalf.
Union/s will now request Logs of Claim (LOC) from their members and will table their Logs at the first negotiations meeting planned for 22 September 2025.
If you would like to be at the negotiations table, or nominate an annual income increase that you think is fair and reasonable please email Ian Braithwaite and he will formulate the draft CPSU NSW Log of Claims to be presented to Delta Electricity at the first meeting.
If you would like to discuss this, please contact Ian Braithwaite on 0400 859 630.
Workload Planner a must – ensure you get paid your hard earned overtime!
With the new Child Protection Award in the process of being finalised, we are urging our members to engage in the use of the current workload planner. The culture of dedicated staff going above and beyond in the work they are allocated impacts wellbeing and means nothing changes for the wider workforce and importantly – the children, young people, and families of NSW.
To assist you in setting boundaries and prioritise your workload, to give you tools to say “No” to work you simply do not have the hours to complete – PSA will be running Workload Planner Lunch & Learn sessions both in CSCs and via MS Teams.
The current Workload Planner (WLP) is easier to use than you might think, and we urge you to put it into action because the fact remains – if it’s not measurable, it’s not manageable. The Workload Planner gives the PSA, and MCS, Directors and EDD, evidence to clearly demonstrate that there are not enough workers to meet the workload.
All Community Services PSA Members are invited to attend the upcoming Workload Planner Lunch & Learn to demystify using the Workload Planner to take back control of your workload, not just for you, but for the people who rely on you.
Meeting details
Date Wednesday 3 September 2025
Time 12:00pm–2:00pm
Location In person at Charlestown CSC and via MS Teams (link below, all Members are welcome to jump on regardless of location or role)
NSW Trustee and Guardian: congratulations to your newly elected Departmental Committee Delegates
Recently the PSA ran and finalised elections for NSW Trustee and Guardian. The PSA wishes to congratulate the following members who have been elected to represent you as your delegates:
Glen Kirk
Lynn Ellis
Mahen Anderson
Nicholas Cusack
Terry Hancock
A few vacancies within the committee exist after the nomination process and have now become casual vacancies. If you are interested in filling a casual vacancy, please contact your PSA Organiser, ">Alex Sala for further details. Please note, the process requires the Departmental Committee’s endorsement before being sent to the PSA Executive for approval.
Once again congratulations to the new delegates and thanks to all that participated in the nomination process.
PSA delegates represent you
The PSA represents your interests at meetings with the NSW Trustee and Guardian called Joint Consultative Committees (JCC). The purpose of a JCC is to establish a regular forum for issues and concerns to be raised and addressed collaboratively.
If you have collective workplace issues you would like raised at your next JCC get in contact with one of the elected delegates close to you. Get involved, and have your voice heard and represented.
As a result of concerns already raised, in addition to the JCC, PSA industrial staff and delegates will be meeting with Human Resources regularly from September 2025.
If you would like your organiser to visit your workplace, please send an email to Alex Sala:
Free PSA training courses for members and delegates
PSA union training is open to all PSA members, not just delegates.
Non-members wishing to attend training will need to submit a membership application form first. You can join easily online HERE.
We offer a variety of courses, and PSA members have access to 12 days’ paid leave each two-year period to attend PSA training courses. Our courses can be found HERE.
Having your union and its collective strength behind you in the workplace is the only way to make sure you get fair outcomes.
Our theme for PSA Schools Recognition Week this year is Delivering Excellence in Schools. And that is exactly what our members do. Schools in our state simply could not run without the army of PSA members working in their offices, grounds and classrooms.
This is the week to let the people of NSW know all about the excellent work PSA members do in our public school system. Whether it is in the office, the classroom or out in the grounds, our members are there keeping our schools running.
PSA Schools Recognition Week gives our school communities the chance to express appreciation for your excellence in the workplace. We have had substantial wins regarding your pay and permanency, the PSA is still working with the Government to ensure all our members are safe at work and taking action regarding the many industrial challenges our members face day to day.
We are also pushing for better professional development for you, the essential workers who keep our schools running.
For a video on PSA Schools Recognition Week from General Secretary Stewart Little, click HERE.
We want to hear from you
Whether you are celebrating PSA Schools Recognition Week 2025 with a morning tea, night out, a special assembly or some other way, we’d love to hear from you. Please send photos of your events to and we’ll share them with fellow members on social media.
Thank you for all you do, delivering excellence in our schools, throughout the year and for your participation in the 2025 PSA Schools Recognition Week.
Service NSW: speak up for a safer workplace and complete the PSA Occupational Violence Survey
The Public Service Association (PSA) is conducting a survey of Service NSW staff to better understand the scope and impact of occupational violence across all workplaces. Your experiences, whether recent, past, or ongoing, will help us advocate for safer workplaces across Service NSW.
Occupational violence is more than just physical assault, it includes any instance where a worker is abused, threatened, harassed, or intimidated while doing their job. This can take many forms, such as verbal abuse, aggressive behaviour, sexual harassment, or bullying by customers, members of the public, co-workers, or management.
The survey takes about five minutes to complete and will inform how the PSA engages with management to push for stronger policies, and support for members on the ground.
Big 6 per cent second-year uplift key to attraction and retention at Clarence Correctional Centre
Eleventh-hour negotiations between the Community and Public Sector Union NSW (CPSU NSW) and Serco Australia have secured a bumper 12 per cent increase in hourly rates over three years with no trade-offs and enhanced conditions.
The new offer, confirmed with the CPSU NSW on Monday morning, includes:
a 3.5 per cent increase in base hourly rates back dated to 3 March 2025
an enhanced overtime loading (double-time) for all hours worked over three hours Monday-Friday, backdated to 3 March 2025
a 6 per cent increase in base hourly rates from 3 March 2026
a one-off retention (loyalty) bonus of $500 (CCO2s) and $750 (CCO3s) in year 2
a 2.5 per cent increase in base hourly rates from 3 March 2027
a new enforceable higher duties clause for ad-hoc acting arrangements
mandatory consultation on rostering
an enforceable commitment to ethical conduct in all employment-related matters.
The company’s revised offer has been formally endorsed by the CPSU NSW bargaining team and marks a welcome shift that supports medium-term planning and stability across the business.
The CPSU NSW would like to acknowledge the great work of our local bargaining team: Mark Bathgate, Kody Richards, Luke Biskin and Craig Dennis.
For further information contact the CPSU NSW on 1800 772 679 and ask for one of our team: Thane Pearce, Rebecca Reilly, Mik Smart or Tom Whitton.
Update for members at the NSW Electoral Commission
On Monday 25 August 2025 the NSW Electoral Commission held a Town Hall meeting at the Sydney Masonic Centre to brief staff on the final organisation structure for the Commission.
PSA Senior Industrial Officer Greg Shaw was in attendance at the briefing.
The Commissioner and the executive team went through the revised 25 August organisational structure. This follows the consultation feedback period which ended 29 July.
The PSA had provided a submission following members forwarding their questions and concerns. The Commission wrote to the PSA on 12 August to address a number of questions raised at a member meeting on 21 July.
The proposed timeline for internal recruitment is:
1 match and confirm staff in roles by 20 September;
2 Senior Executive Recruitment by end December 2025;
3 External recruitment by 30 June 2026.
Key date new structure to be stood up by 10 November.
Outstanding questions
The PSA will be seeking further information as to the impacted positions and the number of roles deleted. Seven ongoing employees are to be impacted. The PSA seeks advice as to internal matching and as there are more roles than people should these people not be assessed for internal matching rather than referral to the Mobility Pathway? The other issue is when will the role statements be available for staff the assess their suitability for matching.
The PSA will be seeking regular meetings for ongoing consultation during the transitional period.
Next steps
Now that members have the final proposal, the PSA seeks to hold a meeting booked by the Commission as follows:
Date Wednesday 3 September 2025 Time 12:30pm-1:30pm Location Level 13 Meeting Room 9, 231 Elizabeth Street Sydney
Those unable to make the meeting in person can attend via Microsoft Teams. Join the meeting here Meeting ID 475 373 293 475 9 Passcode gT3FE3dk
For further assistance please contact or 1800 772 679. Please quote case ID C10007797.
