Community Services Long-Term Temp win

Community Services Long Term Temp win – February 2016 (PDF version)

PSA wins conversion of temporary caseworkers

The PSA and the Community Services Departmental Committee have been lobbying the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) for many years in relation to fair, equitable and transparent process for the conversion of all temporary caseworkers into ongoing employment.

On Thursday, 11 February 2016, it was confirmed FACS will be converting all long-term temporary caseworkers into ongoing employment. Currently there are 286 long-term temporary caseworkers. At this stage, the Department has appointed 234 into ongoing roles. The Department has informed the PSA the 52 remaining will be appointed by early March; subject to the standard conduct and services checks.

The PSA has continued to campaign around the issue of resourcing with members staging multiple walk-outs over the past couple of years. Last year, the PSA won an agreement with the Department that no long-term temporary caseworker would have their contracts terminated due to over funding of numbers in districts.

The PSA has fought to stop the casualisation of caseworkers’ positions, as members witnessed the ever-increasing numbers of caseworkers employed on temporary contracts.

Delegates have continued to raise concerns at the PCC, with the current Minister to get a better outcome for our members.

In 2013 the GSE Act placed a limit of four years on temporary employment. However, following strong representations from your union, in 2014 the Public Service Commissioner advised the PSA the changes would be implemented to streamline the conversion of temporary employees to ongoing roles.

The PSA worked hard to achieve this major win for thousands of temporary employees in the NSW Public Service. This helped our members in Community Services; giving them the opportunity to be converted into ongoing employment before the four years was completed.

You can read our bulletin on this win HERE

This is a great victory, resulting from all the hard work, actions and lobbying by the PSA delegates, members and staff and congratulations to everyone who has been involved.

Contact your PSA delegate if you haven’t been converted into ongoing employment.