Closure of the Powerhouse Museum: your entitlements

In response to the Powerhouse Museum closing to the public, the PSA would like to remind members of their flexible work and leave entitlements as per the Premier of New South Wales’s Circular for COVID-19.

Workplace is closed?

Where the workplace is closed, flexible work arrangements should be considered either at home or from another office location. Where work is unable to be provided to employees, they are to be paid as normal and are placed on paid special leave.

Unable to work?

Up to 20 days’ paid special leave will be provided, before other leave entitlements need to be accessed, to employees who are unable to work because they are:

caring for sick family members;
caring for family members due to closure of schools and caring facilities; or
unable to attend work due to transport disruptions.

After the 20 days of special leave has been used, employees may access accrued leave entitlements (i.e. sick leave, annual leave, family and community services and extended/long service leave).

Casuals

The PSA is calling on the NSW Government to make a commitment to pay its casual employees throughout the current pandemic. The Powerhouse Museum has committed so far to pay those on roster until April 1. We understand that no rosters beyond that have been developed at this point. The Government should explore all options to keep casuals in work rather than adding to the unemployment statistics.

Other agencies, such as the State Library, have made a commitment to pay their casuals and recognised that they should not be disadvantaged. We want the same from the Powerhouse. We want the same for our valuable members who have been so vital to making the Powerhouse Museum one of Sydney’s icons.

It is a time when people need levels of certainty to help them cope with this crisis.

The PSA continues to advocate for our members. We have also sought a postponement to the stage one closure of the Powerhouse which is connected to the intended move to Parramatta. We are awaiting a response to our request.

Powerhouse members should note that they currently have a very able and committed team of Delegates who are also working strongly on their behalf and the PSA thanks them for their efforts.

Not a member? Join today at www.psa.asn.au/join.

COVID-19: Life Without Barriers, Australian Unity and Achieve Australia confirm special leave

Covid News – March 2020 (PDF version)

Your union last week wrote to all Disability, Home Care, and Client Support Service providers seeking to be consulted on what contingency plans are being developed to support staff effected by COVID-19. In particular, your union has raised concerns around provisions relating to how staff, including casuals, will be paid in the various circumstances surrounding COVID-19.

Life Without Barriers, Australian Unity and Achieve Australia have confirmed they will pay special leave.

Life Without Barriers

LWB will provide all front line staff, including casuals up to two weeks’ special leave – ‘Additional Support Leave’ – if staff are unable to attend work because they are ill with a COVID-19 related illness; are required to self-quarantine; or are required to care or support for a family member; and they have exhausted or are not eligible for personal/carers leave.

Australian Unity

Australian Unity will provide 10 business days of special leave for staff, including casuals, with COVID-19 concerns and require to self-isolate. This will not be available to those who chose to go overseas and have to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return. It will only be available when staff have exhausted their personal leave or are not eligible for personal/carers leave.

Achieve Australia

Achieve Australia will provide an additional 10 days of special leave (pro rata) for permanent and casual staff who are exposed to confirmed cases of COVID-19 as a result of service delivery. This special leave will be accessible in addition to a staff member’s personal leave balance. Achieve Australia advised causals will be paid at base hourly rate without loading and will be based on their average engagement pattern over the past three months.

If you are eligible for this additional leave, you will receive a letter from Achieve Australia.

Disability Trust

The Disability Trust has informed us it will not provide special leave.

ConnectAbility

Unfortunately, ConnectAbility is not providing special leave to its staff, including casuals, in the event they require time off due to COVID-19. Your union will be make further representations on behalf of members. We believe not offering special leave is only going to encourage staff to come to work when they should be self-isolating and continue the spread of this highly contagious virus.

We will keep you updated. For those members whose service providers are providing special leave, if you have any questions you should contact your Human Resources or any policies or FAQs which have been developed to assist you.

What have other service providers advised?

Many service providers are yet to advise your union if any special leave will be provided to their staff if they require time off work due to COVID-19. Like many of the other service providers we believe they too should follow suit and provide at minimum 10 days of special leave.

The following providers are yet to respond:

Benevolent Society
Aruma
FindingYellow
Mid North Coast
Ability Options
Northcott
Cerebral Palsy Alliance
Live Better Community Services
Disability Services Australia

Join the CPSU NSW

Not a member? Join the CPSU NSW HERE.

Contact the CPSU NSW

Industrial Officers
Jessica Moore
Sharny Chalmers

Organisers
Cora Sarmiento
Tony Hay
Shane Elliott
Gino di Candilo

School support staff call on NSW government to close schools now

School support staff, including school learning support officers, admin staff, aboriginal education officers, and other non-teaching staff in schools, are calling on the NSW government to adopt the UK model in closing schools, while maintaining support for the children of frontline, essential service workers.

The Public Service Association, which represents NSW’s 17,500 non-teaching school staff, said following a meeting today members are now calling on the government to follow the UK’s approach, which has seen schools closed for all children but those of essential service workers.

“School support staff believe the right course of action to limit the spread of COVID-19 is for the Berejiklian Government to close schools,” said PSA general secretary Stewart Little.

“The message from the government needs to be simple: unless you work in an essential service, school is closed for your children.

“This isn’t a decision that should be left to parents – it is only causing further anxiety, confusion and uncertainty.

“This is the right thing to do. We can’t afford any more delays or confusion about whether parents should still be sending kids to school.

“The NSW government can readily make arrangements to ensure the children of essential service workers can remain supervised by staff at school during school hours – and if needed after school care too.

“We are all in this together – the government must also insist employers across the state provide flexible arrangements to accomodate that many workers will have children staying home.

“This is the model the UK has adopted. We have the advantage of seeing how other countries are managing these challenges – we should learn from them and implement measures quickly.

“Our school support members work with some of the vulnerable kids in the state, including kids with disabilities and complex needs

“They work in very close proximity, they can not practise social distancing. The NSW government says they’re keeping schools on health advice – but won’t be transparent about what that advice is. This is only adding to the confusion among parents, teachers and school support staff.

“They love their jobs and are committed to supporting students and parents, but they need more support from the government to minimise the risk to them and their families. Closing schools would provide greater resources to do this.”

Parliament – JCC and COVID-19 update

At the Joint Consultative Committee Meeting between the PSA and management of Parliament held on 19 March we were advised that whilst a meeting relating to the COVID-19 virus prevented Mark Webb from attending this particular meeting he had stated that he would not attend further JCCs until a disagreement regarding the attendance of delegates was resolved.

The disagreement is based on the fact that the delegate is employed from the Leader of the Opposition’s office and therefore under Department of Premier’s and Cabinet (DPC) as opposed to being employed by Parliament.

The PSA made it clear that it is the union who determines who its delegates are and that this is an essential premise under which we operate. Additional to this is the important point that this same delegate is based at Parliament, is effected by the same day to day conditions as other staff employed there, and is a valuable source of support to other PSA members. Only recently has this delegate moved to the role under DPC, and they have been significantly involved in canvassing members in relation to conditions as well as being involved in an informal bargaining process relating to the MOPS Determination.

The PSA will be engaging further with management on their refusal to recognise our Delegates.

COVID-19

Parliament advised that they have developed a plan (Parliament of NSW Influenza Pandemic Plan – March 2020) with several phases of response. We were told that this plan is available on the Parliament internet. We are advised that there is communication from Mark Webb daily. This covers Parliament House as well as Electorate Offices.

Andrew Kiejda in DPS is a central point of contact and is currently off-line from other duties focusing on the virus issue. In terms of communication e-mails are still being used but we were further advised that the Telstra Instant Messaging Service (TIMS) will be used to enable them to provide notifications to those signed up to it if required.

At time of writing Parliament remains open. School excursions have been cancelled by Department of Education limiting some visitors. At this stage the Sitting Calendar is going ahead, and Parliament will sit on Tuesday. If people are unwell they should not come in.

A tool kit is being developed in relation to working from home. They are looking at, and working on, technology to maximise the ability to work from home effectively. Management have expressed they have concerns about social isolation for people working from home and EAPS is available to assist.

Casual employees in some cases are being redeployed to other work where feasible and appropriate. There are options to pay casual where work is not available if there was a reasonable expectation of work were it not for the COVID-19 virus.

Advice has been provided to Members in Electorate Offices and decisions to work from home will be determined on a case by case basis. Offices may work as normal, but may have appropriate signage with advice to visitors attending. In some cases they may remain open but closed to the public (contactable by email or phone), and in other cases closed entirely. We were advised that extra remote access tokens, if required, will not be at the cost of the Electorate Office.

The PSA urges its members to actively look after their own health and that of others.

COVID-19 update – Community Corrections

Members will be aware a Command Post has been set up to manage various issues in Corrective Services NSW relating to COVID-19.

The PSA raised strong concerns last week that policy had not been adequately developed in Community Corrections to manage risks to staff and clarify service delivery given the current environment.

PSA Industrial Officer Roland Harris attended this morning’s briefing to continue discussions on these concerns and the PSA has been advised the following:

A comprehensive policy will be sent to staff today. This should have now been received by all members. Let your manager know if you have not seen a copy. This policy will detail enhanced working from home arrangements and changes to service delivery, among other things.
Following PSA concerns about the importance of employment certainty for casuals, Community Corrections has advised it does not anticipate standing down any casual members and they will continue to be utilised, sometimes in repurposed roles across the agency.
A daily meeting of the Directors will take place from today onwards. This will address concerns raised through centres on an ongoing basis with a view to resolving them as quickly as possible.
The PSA will remain involved with the Command Post an on ongoing basis to raise member concerns not being appropriately addressed.

The PSA welcomes these developments and encourages members to:

Direct enquiries to Managers in the first instance so they can be escalated through to the daily Directors meetings.
Read through the FAQ section on the intranet that outlines answers on COVID-19 matters including working from home and self-isolation.
Access support services through EAPS if you feel you need assistance.
Stay in touch with colleagues and talk to Unit Leaders after difficult/stressful calls. Doing your work in isolation has increased mental health risks – it’s important to stay connected.

Community Corrections has also finally organised a meeting between the PSA and Assistant Commissioner Sandra Crawford tomorrow to discuss these mitigation strategies and ensure they are being appropriately implemented.

Members will be updated as developments come to hand. If you have a matter that has been raised with your Manager and not addressed, please get in touch with the PSA Member Support Centre on 1800 772 679.

PSA contacts

Roland Harris Industrial Officer
Leonie Wright Organiser

Urgent update on COVID-19 for Schools members

The PSA Executive, Delegates and Staff are most concerned about our members working in schools.

We know that you work directly with students, staff and parents every day. It is impossible to ensure appropriate social distancing in schools. In addition, many schools are having problems obtaining the hand sanitiser, appropriate cleaning products and personal protective clothing that would keep our members safe.

We know the Department has today advised staff who may be at special risk to take appropriate measures and we commend them for that. However, this does not go far enough to protect ALL our members.

The Schools DC executive met today and have moved the following motion:

“The Schools Departmental Committee executive moves that the NSW Government and the Department of Education should close schools within the next few days. That closure should follow the UK model.

The union is most concerned for our members who work in close proximity with students and deal directly with members of the public, often to a greater extent than teachers”

At-risk members

Members with an underlying medical condition who may be at higher risk from Covid-19 (based on the NSW Health Guidance HERE) should raise their health concerns with their Principal or Manager.

WHS advice

In the meantime, we suggest that if you are concerned about your safety at work you advise your Principal, who is the workplace manager, and ask them to act to protect you. If no action is taken please lodge an incident with the WHS hotline on 1800 811 523.

You should continue to lodge incidents each day the issue arises or each time it occurs.

In the event that urgent and appropriate action is not taken to protect members, the PSA will support members to “cease unsafe work”. Phone the PSA on 1800 772 679 for this advice.

Important PSA bulletins to read on COVID-19

Know someone who isn’t a member?

A strong union means better outcomes for all members; forward this bulletin to your colleagues and encourage your workmates to JOIN the PSA today

Having your union and its collective strength behind you in the workplace is the only way to make sure we get fair outcomes.

Reminder! Ministry of Health union meeting Thursday

Don’t forget, your PSA members’ meeting is coming up this week.

Thursday 26 March 2020
1pm-2pm
VIA TELECONFERENCE (details below)

Room 7.02 Level 7
100 Christie St

Strict social distancing measures will be in place in the meeting room.

Items for discussion

COVID-19 PSA Action So Far
- Entitlements and advice on using them
COVID-19 MoH Response
- Working from home, including as a carer
- Access to leave
- Social distancing at work
- Cleaning, disinfectant etc.
- Support in IT section
- Staff with clinical experience and supporting COVID response
Joint Consultative Committee (JCC and Sub-JCC)) Reports

We want to hear from you

If you have something you would like to add to the agenda of the union meeting please contact your delegate or email us at .

Agenda items can be raised anonymously and anything raised can be treated with strict confidentiality.

Teleconference details

Dial: 1800 108 839

Code: 358320

CPSU NSW urges unprecedented measures to protect LRS staff during COVID-19 crisis

Covid Measures – March 2020 (PDF version)

The CPSU NSW has written to NSW Land Registry Services Head of People and Culture, Brad Griffiths, urging the organisation to act early and implement a range of unprecedented measures to protect the health and financial wellbeing of staff during the COVID-19 health crisis. Click here to view a copy of our letter HERE.

The union has encouraged LRS to take its lead from the NSW Government and support staff with additional leave arrangements to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Governments, non-government organisations and businesses in Australia and around the world are conscious that COVID-19 will place enormous pressure on budgets and profitability, and many are responding admirably by introducing support measures to assist employees weather the current crisis.

The CPSU NSW is ready to work with employers to discuss and tailor strategies to ensure best practice initiatives are implemented, and employees are both safe at work and secure at home.

For further advice, contact Kirra Jackson (0438 416 615) or Thane Pearce (0408 223 276) at the CPSU NSW on 1800 772 679

Not a member? Join today.

UNION IS STRENGTH!

Driver testing update

The PSA has been actively making representations to the Department of Customer Service in relation to our concerns for your safety in response to COVID-19.

The Department has confirmed it expects driver testing to continue, despite the obvious risk to your health and safety being in an enclosed space for approximately 45 minutes. The Department has stated that if Driver Testers feel unable to continue testing, they should “have a conversation with their manager”.

While we are still expecting more decisive action from Service NSW in the near future, for now it has opted for what we see as a self-regulating response from staff.

The PSA’s position remains that any Driver Tester who reasonably feels unsafe in their work has the right under Section 84 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 to cease unsafe work.

In this instance, you are advised to discuss your concerns with your supervisor and it is the expectation of the PSA that suitable alternative duties will be found for you. To be clear; if you cease unsafe work you need to remain available to carry out suitable alternative work.

If you experience any difficulties in doing so you are advised to contact the PSA for further assistance. If any member experiences any difficulty, or is directed to perform work the employee has reasonably deemed unsafe, the PSA will be willing to make representation in the Industrial Relations Commission on their behalf. The PSA notes that conciliation of most industrial disputes is sensibly occurring via teleconference to maintain social distancing and mitigate risk of potential exposure.

This is a constantly evolving situation, with the PSA continuing in its representations on your behalf on this and other related matters. We are expecting further announcements in the coming days.

Not a member? Join today at www.psa.asn.au.

COVID-19 Command Centre

Information valid as of 5pm, Thursday 19 March.

Corrective Services has established a temporary Command Centre on the COVID-19 Pandemic at Henry Deane Building. This arises from a meeting between the PSA General Secretary Stewart Little, PSA Corrective Service Branch Execs and Commissioner Severin on Monday.

The Command Centre is staffed by various senior officers from across the organisation, in management and operational roles and by invitation to representatives from the PSA.

The Command Centre meets every day in person and by teleconference. An established teleconference line is established to allow members of the command centre and governors and directors to communicate issues as they arise in the centres, court locations and community offices and also your union branch executives as the COVID pandemic develops. There is also a dedicated email address.

The PSA is committed to working with Corrective Services COVID-19 Command Centre in order to assist our members maintain their workplaces as safe as possible, be it in a correctional complex or in a community setting. The prison population is considered by health Authorities as being of a higher risk in this pandemic, due to a range of co-morbidities, and other demographic factors. Therefore, PSA members’ essential work needs to be kept as safe as possible. Some measures will not be popular among staff or inmates, but will be done based on the best health information available, keeping the staff and inmates as safe as possible, and whilst maintaining the operations of Correctives Services.

Communications

Communications are starting to come more frequently from the Command Centre in a variety of forms from Commissioner’s Instructions to the latest information on the DCJ website and intranet.

Your Governors and PSA Branch Executives also have direct access to the Command Centre for feeding issues through to the centre and working on solutions. There is a 24-hour mobile phone to the Command Centre and a daytime telephone link to find solutions to COVID-related incidents as they arise from the Command Centre. Members are encouraged to try and resolve issues locally through site delegates and local management, then feed issues to the PSA before sending to the Coronavirus Command. Members are asked to be patient: the Command Centre deals with all issues, but prioritises higher-risk issues, then progresses to other matters. The Command Centre is dealing with a significant number of issues.

Issues being addressed

The following lists a number of the issues that the Command Centre has been working on for custodial setting:

Monitoring unplanned sick leave across locations to see where possible staff shortages are occurring.
We were advised that a broadcast was coming today from HR regarding casuals access to special leave. This is a key component in keeping the gaols infection free and also ensuring adequate staffing as staff attendance is affected by the pandemic.
Governors have been instructed to put in place COVID-19 contingency plans after consulting with all stakeholders (including local unions and HSRs). There may be variations required that go beyond the benchmarks in the gaol and a COVID-19 cost centre will be created.
Commissioner’s Instruction 03-2020 regarding suspension of programs in the community.
Governors have been instructed to increase hygiene measures, increase cleaning regimes and make more hand wash and PPE available.
The Prison Bed Capacity program will be revised with changes to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic.
Justice Health is now screening inmates at point of departure and arrival of escort vehicles, where there is nursing staff present at a centre.
CSU locations without nursing staff will have Justice Health questions and protocols incorporated into New Inmate Lodgement and Special Instruction Sheet assessment process.
As a result of a Chief Magistrate’s Direction, warrant matters are varied to have all court matters via AVL, email and teleconference.
Due to Ombudsman COVID-19 precautions, the Ombudsman may have less availability at times and this should be communicated with inmates
Legal Aid and other legal visits are now going through AVL or telephone
The Command Centre has put forward recommendations to the Commissioner in regard to visits suspension, non-essential visitors and contractors, works release, day release, all other non-essential escorts, and procedures for inmates with COVID-19

The Command Centre is dealing with issues in the custodial environment, first to minimise infection risk and also progressing with community issues.

We also wanted to repeat again, that as workers for Corrective Services we have proven in the past that we will get through this pandemic by working together. Our workforce is a community that does its best when confronted with challenges such as this one, and we do our best by supporting each other. However, we wanted to remind everyone that if you are feeling overwhelmed, or one of your workmates is not coping, that is OK and reach out and have a conversation. We all have to look out for each other.

Document prepared by the PSA with assistance of:

Amanda Cotter Secretary POVB (Goulburn CC)
Darren Wells President COVB (Shortland CC)
Nicole Jess President POVB (Silverwater Women’s CC)

COVID-19 and Community Corrections

The PSA has been contacted by many of you this week understandably seeking information regarding what work practices are being changed in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The PSA has pursued answers on your behalf and to date has only been granted one informal briefing, yesterday afternoon. We have been advised that changes to processes and policies are awaiting approval and will be circulated to you shortly.

Frankly the response from Community Corrections to our approaches to date has been underwhelming in both urgency and detail, and grossly inferior to counterparts both within the Stronger Communities cluster and across the public sector.

We are continuing to seek answers on matters such as incident control, cleaning, and changes to operational responsibilities both now and in the eventuality of a wider shutdown of services.

A meeting has been scheduled between PSA representatives and Sandra Crawford next week and we hope this will provide the assurances we are demanding.

In the interim and at the instigation of other PSA Branches within CSNSW, most notably the POVB, CSNSW has established a Command Hub in Henry Deane Building and is working collaboratively with your union on the prevention and management of any issues regarding COVID-19, particularly in the custodial setting.

We as a community are now in a vital stage of stopping transmission of this pandemic. The PSA is here to ensure your workplace is one of the safest environments you participate in, not the most dangerous, so please let us know what you need either through your local delegates listed below or the Member Support Centre on 1800 772 679 or (02) 9220 0900

We will advise of further developments when they come to hand, so please ensure your details are correct and monitor our social media pages www.facebook.com/PSANSW and twitter.com/psansw.

PSA contacts

Roland Harris Industrial Officer
Leonie Wright Organiser

Your Delegates

Carmen Wells Newcastle
Ben Gillies Bathurst
Suzi Tubner Liverpool
Laurence Carroll City
Bronwyn Granger City
Shaun Grace Port Macquarie
Bart Gale Bourke
Kate Dalton Wollongong
Mick Dendy Wellington
John Eyles Orange

Closure of the Powerhouse Museum: your entitlements

Casuals

Recent News

COVID-19: Life Without Barriers, Australian Unity and Achieve Australia confirm special leave

Life Without Barriers

Australian Unity

Achieve Australia

Disability Trust

ConnectAbility

What have other service providers advised?

Join the CPSU NSW

Contact the CPSU NSW

Recent News

School support staff call on NSW government to close schools now

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Parliament – JCC and COVID-19 update

Recent News

COVID-19 update – Community Corrections

PSA contacts

Recent News

Urgent update on COVID-19 for Schools members

At-risk members

WHS advice

Important PSA bulletins to read on COVID-19

Know someone who isn’t a member?

Recent News

Reminder! Ministry of Health union meeting Thursday

Items for discussion

We want to hear from you

Teleconference details

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Driver testing update

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COVID-19 Command Centre

Communications

Issues being addressed

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COVID-19 and Community Corrections

PSA contacts

Your Delegates

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Message to All Members from Stewart Little

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Become a member today