Home Care – PSA: your union with Australian Unity – March 2016 (PDF version)

PSA meets with Australian Unity

Your union has met with your new employer, Australian Unity, and is currently finalising dates for the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC). The role of the JCC is to consult on collective issues and changes. It is also where delegates can raise issues that have not been resolved at the local workplace level.

Members wishing to raise issues of broad concern at the JCC should contact your departmental committee delegate. Delegates are listed on our website HERE.

If you are interested in getting more involved you should nominate to become a delegate. You can download a nomination form HERE.

The PSA will continue to work with Australian Unity to ensure members are supported through this change and beyond.

Fighting to protect your conditions in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission

Last year the PSA advised members that we were commencing legal action to protect conditions you enjoy not contained within the Crown Employees (Home Care service of New South Wales – Administrative staff) Award 2012. You can read that bulletin HERE.

Lawyers for the PSA have filed an application with the NSW Industrial Relations Commission to vary the Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Reviewed Award 2009 (the “Conditions Award”) to incorporate employees of the Home Care Service of NSW now with Australian Unity.

The move comes in response to a letter we received from FACS advising us the agency did not recognise the Conditions Award as an employment instrument for transitional arrangements.

The PSA has always maintained the general public service Conditions Award underpins employment arrangements for our members in the Home Care Service of NSW, and should continue with transferring employees once they move to across to Australian Unity. The Conditions Award contains a number of additional employment conditions to those provided for in the Crown Employees (Home Care Service of NSW – Administrative Staff) Award 2012 and would benefit transferring employees.

The PSA firmly believes that our contention is supported by section 14 (4) of the Enabling Act – which protects the existing conditions transferring staff.

The NSW Government is considering our application and the matter is listed for further conciliation before the IRC on
31 March.

As we have always said, we will continue to fight for the best possible outcome for Home Care employees irrespective of who their employer happens to be.

The transfer agreement and your award

The PSA will continue to represent your interests with Australian Unity through the transition and beyond. To support this we have negotiated your Transfer Agreement and negotiated to ensure that protection of conditions in the Crown Employees (Home Care service of New South Wales – Administrative staff) Award 2012 are legally enforceable.

The conditions in your award have been negotiated by the PSA over many years and will remain in place even though you have transferred to Australian Unity and your employment has moved to the Federal (Fair Work) system.

If you experience any issues relating to your conditions your union, the PSA, can represent you as the sole union party to your Award.

Update your details

If you have moved, have a new work email, work phone or work location please update your membership details HERE.

Have you switched to direct debit? Make sure you are protected!

If you have not yet switched to direct debit now is the time to do it. Switch HERE.

Make sure you are protected and make the switch NOW!