In this update
- PSA Pay Rise campaign
- SASS Award up for review: your conditions of employment
- Your Schools Delegates: targeting the extreme workload issues
- Online WHS Incident Reporting System
- Work Health and Safety in Science
- COVID-19 Taskforce: weekly meetings with PSA
It has been another difficult term in schools. with members under extreme pressure and high workloads. The PSA has been working hard with your delegates and will be continuing to pursue workable solutions to these issues until they are resolved.
Below are just some of things the union staff and delegates have been working on throughout term 1 2022:
PSA Wages Claim: The Public Sector Needs a Pay Rise
The PSA has started a campaign to push for a significant wages claim outside of the NSW Liberal-National Government wages cap which limits any pay increase to 2.5 per cent or less, particularly in response to the rising cost of living. Go to www.psa.asn.au to sign up and get the latest on the campaign and to stay up to date with the campaign.
Crown Employees (School Administrative and Support Staff) Award 2019
On the 31 March 2022 the Public Service Association of NSW wrote to the Secretary NSW Department of Education in relation to the Crown Employees (School Administrative and Support Staff) Award 2019 which is due to expire on 30 June 2022.
With only three months until the end of the Award term, the Association is seeking to meet with the Department to discuss the Award at the earliest convenience.
PSA officers and Schools Departmental Committee delegates will be negotiating with the Department in relation to different issues relating to your workplace conditions raised by delegates and members.
PSA Schools Departmental Committee Meeting 8 March 2022
Schools delegates met on 8 March for the first time in 2022 to deal with a whole range of issues with the COVID-19 pandemic still on foot, the NSW flood crisis unfolding and the The Public Sector Needs a Pay Rise campaign.
The Departmental Committee (DC) dealt with the following major issues:
- COVID-19, increased workload and general work overload in schools
- Term 1 SASS Staff shortages due to COVID-19 impacts
- Inequity in SASS staffing, particularly in primary schools, and the lack of action from the Department on the Staffing Methodology Review and failure to communicate the outcomes and recommendations of the review.
These matters were raised at the 28 March 2022 DoE/PSA (Schools) Joint Consultative Committee. The PSA has been seeking to have these issues actioned with an increase in staff resources sought to address the ever increasing workload for school based staff. With little to no action from the Department, the PSA will write to the Secretary to seek an urgent meeting within the context of the pending negotiations for the SASS Award.
PSA Delegates also requested the Department Officers who are subject matter experts to attend the next JCC to address:
- Current Pilot program: Court orders moving back into ERN report back on rollout
- School Noticeboard: The need to update and maintain time relevant information within this application which is too time-consuming and difficult for users.
Quarterly Health and Safety Directorate/PSA meeting: Term 1, 2022
The Quarterly HSD/PSA meeting occurred on 24 March 2022 and dealt with the following Work Health and Safety (WHS) issues which have been raised by PSA delegates-
- Department’s WHS reporting system
The PSA has pushed the Department to investigate introducing an online reporting system for WHS incidents in addition to current arrangements to alleviate the extensive length of time members are spending on hold waiting on the Incident Report Hotline.
- CSIS (Chemical Safety in Schools)
The PSA put forward that DoE use Risk Assess as a mandatory system until the Chemical Safety in Schools (CSIS) phase two has been completed to ensure the safety of members.
The PSA also requested an annual audit of the physical chemical storage areas in all high schools and labelling of chemical containers in consultation with all stakeholders according to CSIS, the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) and WHS guidelines.
- Departmental staff working off site at third party provider’s premises
PSA sought advice if there are existing guidelines and other approval processes in relation to WHS and supervision requirements of staff and students.
- Mandatory Training SAO Science
PSA requested that Science (Part A) be made mandatory for SAOs moving in to or starting a science role. Working in science can be highly hazardous and in many cases staff are moved into these roles with little to no training.
The Department has given an undertaking to follow up these issues and will provide feedback through minutes/action report and request Human Resources support and report to PSA and delegates before or at next Quarterly meeting.
COVID-19 & Crisis Taskforce
PSA officers meet weekly with senior DoE Covid Taskforce representatives to deal with the current COVID-19 issues within all school settings. The taskforce also deals with the management of the current flood crisis impacting the north coast regional communities of NSW.
If members have any concerns in relation to these issues, or if you are a member with an individual issue, please contact the Member Support Centre on 1300 772 679.