Schools Bulletin: Hunter and Central Coast
Schools bulletin Central Coast and Hunter – March 2016 (PDF version)
My name is Belinda Sugden and I am your local PSA Schools Organiser. I have been visiting schools in your area and will continue to do so in 2016 to engage with you in your workplace.
With another busy year ahead in schools and a number of changes occurring in your area, we need to work together to ensure the changes come in as smoothly as possible.
This is important as the first change coming in is LMBR. LMBR implementation has been problematic in other areas, although the Department has indicated they have listened and will improve the roll-out for the following two areas:
Group 1
Gosford and Wyong networks
Group 2
Callaghan/Port Stephens, Newcastle, Lake Macquarie East and Lake Macquarie West principal networks.
The roll-out method
The PSA has been effective in gaining improvements for this part of the roll-out, although there are still questions that will need to be asked along the way to ensure your workload does not increase and that you are well supported. Some of the questions include;
- do you work only the hours for which you are paid?
- do you claim overtime?
- do colleagues who are not selected to attend training feel they have been provided with the adequate tools to do their job?
- do colleagues feel overwhelmed, anxious or stressed with not being provided training or with day-to-day work?
- do those who have attended training feel overwhelmed, over worked and exhausted because of the need to train others?
- do you feel you have been provided with the right tools and resources to train others?
- what changes are needed to support you? Do you feel supported?
- do you have enough information to support you with changes?
- has the impact of extra “users” going “live” impacted on the system speed for day-to-day work?
What you can do?
To help deal with the changes and to protect your interests, it is important to become active in your union, the PSA.
You know your workplace better than anyone else which is why it is important that you become actively involved in issues that affect you and your colleagues. You can make a difference. Let’s make that difference together.
Start by:
- attending your next PSA meeting. This is the first step in showing your support
- become an LMBR Contact for your school
- become a contact for your school (for other issues)
Contact your local Organiser to book your meeting in Term 1 and our schools email to keep us informed of what is going on. Without you bringing these matters forward, we cannot advocate for much needed changes in your workplace. Having this collective approach makes a difference for you in your workplace. Make that call or email today.
