Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has simply given a modest cost of living adjustment to the public servants who saved his state from a succession of disasters.
In his Budget speech on Tuesday, Mr Perrottet gave public sector workers a 2.5 per cent pay increase – 0.5 per cent of which will go to this year’s promised superannuation rise.
The 2.5 per cent increase is obviously welcome, but it is in the context of rising costs of living and against a backdrop of a miniscule 0.3 per cent pay rise the year before. In addition, the NSW public sector still labours under unfair workplace laws that restrict our ability to bargain and a three per cent efficiency dividend that will cost jobs.
Your union will continue to campaign for fair pay and conditions and we will fight job cuts, particularly in the regions and for women.
It is the public sector that the community turned to in crisis.
It is the public sector that fought the worst bushfires modern NSW has seen.
It is the public sector keeping a lid on the pandemic.
Our members are on the frontline. They did not deserve what in essence was a pay cut last year and deserves more than a modest cost of living increase in 2021.
Mr Perrottet’s Budget announcement also proves that last year’s miserly 0.3 pay rise was not only bad for our members, it was disastrous for the state economy, pulling much-needed spending dollars out of communities during an economic downturn.
The PSA/CPSU NSW welcomes the Treasurer’s announcement for paid leave for premature births, still births and miscarriages. Your union was successful in introducing similar benefits into national employment standards and has long been campaigning for this at a state level.
NPWS June Joint Consultative Committee update: Flex agreement, hunting in Flora Reserves and more
The Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) of National Parks met on Wednesday 9 June to discuss a range of industrial issues affecting PSA members in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
Proposed changes to DPIE flex agreement
The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) is proposing to merge all flex agreements across the agency into one DPIE-wide agreement. Currently the NPWS flex agreement is contained in the Parks award (which is a consent award). Hence it cannot be changed without the agreement of the parties to the award i.e. NPWS and the PSA. Our flex agreement has sections that are specifically designed to support field operations in NPWS (including no coretime and an extended bandwidth, etc). The PSA supports its members in NPWS retaining the current flex entitlements enshrined in the award. However, the PSA will provide comment on any proposed changes to this agreement if required and these proposals will be put to the members before any agreement is reached.
Hunting in Flora Reserves
The PSA raised concerns regarding reports that hunting would soon be allowed in some of the Flora Reserves currently under NPWS management or about to be transferred to NPWS management, namely Belanglo, Comleroy, Jellore and Meryla. The Executive guaranteed that no staff on work duties will enter into any area of state forest that is open to hunting without a safe system in place and appropriate delegation under the relevant legislation (such as the Game and Feral Animal Control Act), including access to the Game Licensing Unit’s database.
Gender equity
The PSA has requested gender equity be included as a standing item on JCC agendas. While this has not yet occurred, there were several items where equity issues were raised. This included broad discussion on the delivery of the gender awareness module across all branches, and a report from DPIE-HR on the improved messaging in recruitment across all roles, including field roles, to make them more inclusive.
The PSA has also formally requested a conference for staff in administrative roles (primarily women) across the state, similar to what has been delivered in the past few years for Rangers and Field Officers. NPWS has agreed and informed the meeting that Senior Branch Officers in each Park Operations Branch will be organising branch-wide meetings. The PSA considers that these conferences will provide important networking opportunities and a forum in which staff can raise concerns over processes and systems.
WHS matters
The PSA identified it was still receiving reports of untrained staff carrying out compliance and law enforcement activities. A follow-up meeting with Brett Pengilley was promised to address concerns about staff dealing with aggressive and threatening behavior and the possibility of regular refresher training to be provided.
The PSA also raised members’ reports of issues with CAMMS, including the fact it was slow in some regional offices, clunky and non-intuitive, and appeared to be generating spam. DPIE staff defended the number of emails that CAMMS generates as being evidence of improved transparency. This is one of the few platforms that extends across the whole cluster and it was reported that NPWS Park Programs staff will continue to have it upgraded and improved for NPWS users.
Law enforcement training
To date 113 staff have been trained in level 1 Law Enforcement and an additional 106 have been trained in “dealing with threatening and aggressive behavior”. Level 2 law enforcement training is planned to be rolled out in September/October. The PSA will be engaged to provide comment on the training module prior to its roll out. The course will be a five-day residential course.
There are still some vacancies in the Specialist team. The compliance data base is being designed. However only one field operations member has been involved in the process. The PSA has been advocating for additional operational members to be involved in this process.
Save our Species
The PSA enquired as to the status of members working in the Save our Species (SoS) program. The meeting was advised that all staff in the program should’ve been briefed on their status. A business case to extend the program has been delivered to Government. Extensions to temporary staff have been granted on the basis that these extensions will be funded once the NSW budget is approved. Otherwise the extensions will be funded internally.
Workload stress
It was acknowledged workload stress was widespread and affecting everyone in NPWS. The PSA delegates highlighted that NPWS staff are coming from a low base with drained levels of resilience following natural disasters such as the 2019-20 bushfires and floods, and COVID. It was admitted there are increasing reports of psychological injuries across the agency. While numbers in NPWS are still below the average for the NSW public sector, they have doubled. The PSA advised some members are using their recreation leave to resolve workplace stress issues rather than formally seeking workers’ compensation.
Uniforms and PPE
One issue that has been troubling staff is the difficulty in procuring uniforms and PPE for the hundreds of new temporary staff. The executive admitted this was an issue, with 36 orders now delayed beyond 10 weeks. The meeting was informed a new Uniform Policy would be released before the commencement of the new uniform contract in the next financial year. The PSA was glad to hear that the roll out of the new uniform would avoid a multi-form result through the formal issue of new uniform items to all staff, consistent with the policy, and the recall of all existing items.
NPWS workplaces
The meeting was advised that more NPWS offices are being converted to agile workplaces. For Parramatta-based staff, it is now assumed that at least 40 per cent of staff will be absent on any one day as DPIE has reduced the area covered by the lease by three floors. The PSA raised issues regarding the process for allocating lockers at Parramatta – this is not automatic (nor guaranteed) as part of the on boarding process, and the process to request one is not highlighted to new staff or their managers.
The PSA raised the issue of overcrowding at some depots and offices, citing the example of the limited toilet and car parking facilities at Blowering Depot where staff numbers have doubled over the past 20 years. This appears to be the case in many NPWS work places across NSW.
New reserves
Following another announcement by Minister Kean of substantial acquisitions of land to be managed by NPWS, the PSA requested information on the level of staffing for these new parks. It was admitted that no additional staff resources will be provided and that any management of these parks will require reallocation of existing staff resources. The PSA expressed its strong displeasure at this situation which will just add to members’ stress levels across the Service.
Distribution of EOIs
Prior to the meeting, the PSA had expressed concerns regarding the ad hoc nature of the advertising of EOIs and the fact that the current system requires access to CM9. Prompted by these concerns, NPWS has agreed that a new process will be rolled out later this month which will result in all EOIs advertised on Insite and Workplace.
On Monday 3 May 2021, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Delegates met to discuss a range of issues. Also in attendance at the meeting were PSA industrial staff Nathan Bradshaw, Michael Sinclair and Kim de Govrik.
Aboriginal Delegate position on the NPVB
Nathan Bradshaw outlined the requirements under the PSA rules for the establishment of a position on the National Parks Vocational Branch (NPVB) for a dedicated Aboriginal Delegate. A number of options were discussed. This will be further discussed and resolved at the AGM in November. However, if anyone knows of a member that may be interested in filling the delegate role until November please advise a NPVB delegate or PSA industrial staff.
Ranger progression
Clarification of Ranger progression from Grade 1 to Grade 2 is still being sought by the PSA. Whilst some delegates were of the opinion that the matter should be referred to the Industrial Relations Commission, they were advised by PSA industrial staff that this won’t be necessary as the Department has acknowledged that the PSA’s position on this matter is correct.
Casual staff issues
A range of issues have been raised by NPWS casual staff (who are PSA members) in relation to their employment. These include cash-handling; use of private vehicles; pay increments; leave entitlements; private and secondary employment and conversion from casual roles to ongoing. PSA industrial staff will convene a separate meeting with Department of Planning Industry and Environment (DPIE) industrial staff to discuss these issues.
PSA Salaries application
This year’s salaries application was discussed. Whilst the Government has indicated that a 1.5 per cent pay increase will be offered to employees the PSA will be seeking a 2.5 per cent increase. The PSA has previously distributed a survey link for all our members to have their say on how the union will proceed. Please click HERE to participate.
Laundry allowance
The PSA position on this matter is that any NPWS staff member in the Clerk classification who wears a uniform is entitled to the laundry allowance. This allowance, if not paid already, may be back dated for six years. Discussions in relation to this matter with DPIE industrial staff are ongoing.
Incident roles in the Award
Members would be aware of a number of incident roles identified in the Award that have, for many years, not been evaluated and, as such, had gone unpaid. After significant pressure from the PSA, DPIE (with assistance from the PSA) has finally evaluated the roles then sought and been given approval from Treasury to fund the roles. It is anticipated that these roles will be paid from the next fire season.
Uniform Working Group
Whilst the Uniform Working Group is working hard to finalise the new uniform, provision of a final product is moving at a glacial pace. However, there is now confirmation that a PPE undergarment will be provided but it will not be Proban-treated. The corporate uniform is still being designed with no final decisions yet to be made on the component parts. It would appear that some new fire fighters have not been provided adequate PPE for firefighting to date.
Gender equality
There is a regional spokeswomen’s event coming up at Western Plains Zoo. Naomi Goosen will be attending the event to represent the PSA/NPVB as a delegate. Amongst the many issues to be discussed will include gender equality and the need for psychological safety to enable equity; the DPIE zero tolerance task force to make DPIE a safe workplace; creating a workplace where everyone’s welcome; and diversity inclusion.
FMAC
Report back from the latest FMAC meeting included discussion on Parks Programs being included as part of the NPWS firefighting workforce; response by FIMS to the recommendations of the various bushfire enquiries; the preparation of a briefing note to update fire management plans; and discussion of the development and addition of safety equipment to firefighting vehicles.
Law enforcement and compliance
After years of pressure from the PSA and its Delegates, NPWS is planning to undertake a scoping study of an agency-wide DPIE database for law enforcement! There are currently funds available for the scoping study on a database. The committee performing the scoping study only has one operational staff member. However, the NPVB will ask for additional representation from the field, including one female member.
Why temporary and casual staff should join the PSA
Finally, a message to these staff. With all the new and creative funding sources provided to NPWS by Government, many new staff are being recruited. The PSA welcomes them aboard. Unfortunately, the majority are only temporary roles.
However, it is the PSA’s position that you should all be made ongoing. So join the PSA (as some of you have already done) and support our efforts to make staff ongoing so they can enjoy a long and rewarding career with the NPWS!
NSW public servants to receive universal parental leave – The Mandarin 07/04/2021
All New South Wales public sector employees who are primary carers will soon be able to access up to 14 weeks’ paid parental leave in the first year of their baby’s life, in a move the Public Service Association has described as a “huge win”.
The change will come into effect from July 1, 10 years after the PSA first began campaigning for equal parental leave for state public servants.
Public servants who were the maternal parent could previously access up to 14 weeks of paid parental leave, while those who were classified as the ‘other’ parent could receive one week of paid leave.
Last week, the Public Sector Industrial Relations advised the PSA that the NSW public sector parental leave entitlement would be expanded to allow the ‘other’ parent — who has primary responsibility for the care of the child not at the time of the birth, adoption or surrogacy — to access two weeks’ paid leave at the time of birth. They will also be entitled to an additional 12 weeks’ paid leave, which can be taken at 24 weeks’ half pay, in the first 12 months of the baby’s life.
Public Service Association NSW general secretary Stewart Little said that while there was no silver bullet to addressing workplace gender inequality, universal paid parental leave would make NSW public sector workplaces fairer and “paves the way for the private sector to follow”.
“This is a huge win for the parents of NSW, and for gender equity,” he said in a statement.
“This gives families more choice about how they’ll care for their new child. But it also means women will be able to more readily return to work once they’re ready, knowing that the other parent also has access to paid parental leave.
“Both parents should be able to take time to bond with their new child, to learn how to care for them, and to share the load. Neither parent should be in a position where they have to make a choice between their career or their child.”
Little noted that the longer women spend away from the professional workforce, the harder it becomes for them to return, which can worsen the gender pay gap and harm women’s superannuation.
An anonymous PSA member and Department of Planning, Industry and Environment employee said the opportunity to access 14 weeks of fully paid parental leave would be “massive” for their family.
“It will make it so much less stressful for my wife and I to have more children. Importantly, it will enable her to complete her Masters and get back to her career as a clinical neuropsychologist,” they said.
“I recently took eight weeks off after the birth of my daughter In December last year. As a father, I only had access to one week of paid parental leave, the remaining seven weeks was scrapped together using a salad of recreation leave, accrued flex leave and leave without pay.”
Media Release: Win for NSW parents, as union secures universal parental leave 07/04/2021
Win for NSW parents, as union secures universal parental leave
All new parents working in the NSW public sector will have the potential to access up to 14 weeks paid parental leave, following a decade-long campaign by the Public Service Association.
From 1 July 2021, NSW public sector employees who are primary carers will be able to access 14 weeks paid parental leave in the first year of their baby’s life. Previously public sector employees were entitled to up to 14 weeks paid parental leave if the maternal parent, or up to 1 week paid leave if the “other” parent.
“This is a huge win for the parents of NSW, and for gender equity,” said Stewart Little, general secretary of the PSA NSW, which first began campaigning for equal parental leave in 2011.
“This gives families more choice about how they’ll care for their new child. But it also means women will be able to more readily return to work once they’re ready, knowing that the other parent also has access to paid parental leave.”
The Public Sector Industrial Relations advised the union last week that it would expand the NSW public sector parental leave entitlement to two categories to include the birth or primary parent at the time of birth, adoption or surrogacy, and the “other parent” who has primary responsibly for the care of the child not at the time of the birth, adoption of surrogacy.
The other parent category can access two weeks paid leave at the time of birth, and an additional 12 weeks paid leave, which can be taken at 24 weeks half pay, in the first 12 months of the baby’s life.
“Both parents should be able to take time to bond with their new child, to learn how to care for them, and to share the load. Neither parent should be in a position where they have to make a choice between their career or their child. Universal paid parental leave makes NSW public sector workplaces fairer, and paves the way for the private sector to follow.
“We know the longer women spend away from the professional workforce the harder it becomes to return. As a result we see a widening gender pay gap, and women’s superannuation balances suffer.
“There is no silver bullet to addressing gender inequality in our workplaces. But universal parental leave paves the way for significant cultural shift.”
Comment from PSA member, working in Department of Planning, Industry and Environment:
“I recently took eight weeks off after the birth of my daughter In December last year. As a father, I only had access to one week of paid parental leave, the remaining seven weeks was scrapped together using a salad of recreation leave, accrued flex leave and leave without pay. Having 14 weeks of fully paid parental leave will be massive for me and my family. It will make it so much less stressful for my wife and I to have more children. Importantly, it will enable her to complete her Masters and get back to her career as a clinical neuropsychologist.”
Further comment: Stewart Little 0434 062 079 / More info: Suze Metherell 0412 867 084
Parliament review into sexual assault complaints process
After much urging by the PSA, the Premier is finally taking action to support women employees in the NSW Parliament. The solution for these employees should be a guide for the whole Public Sector.
As far back as June 2018, PSA General Secretary Stewart Little wrote to Premier Berejiklian regarding Parliamentary Members’ staff and the need for an independent process to ensure allegations of discrimination, harassment and victimisation are investigated and taken seriously. In discussing the need for an independent arbitrator of such complaints, Mr Little stated:
Without appeal rights, or access to a transparent, independent assessment of complaints, staff are left only with public avenues to attempt to resolve grievances.
The PSA offered to host and participate in talks between the office of the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition. However, the silence from the Government was deafening.
The PSA welcomes the news that the Premier is finally taking some action to review how allegations of bullying, harassment and sexual assault involving Members’ staff are handled. The action from the Premier is well overdue, but it should not have taken victims going to the media to force a Government into action. The PSA will be writing to the Premier again demanding our members and their delegates have input in to the review.
As stated HERE in our bulletin on 23 February, the PSA has always supported members experiencing sexual harassment and assault. Your union has introduced our Legal Services Unit and restored the role of Women’s Industrial Officer. Additionally, the PSA continues to advance the rights of women by:
winning a pay equity case that saw members in schools receive pay rises of at least 19 per cent
inserting domestic violence leave provisions into new workplace agreements
conducting the WHAT WOMEN WANT survey to improve the working lives of all women, including better workplace flexibility.
Your union will continue to work to reduce the incidence of sexual harassment and assault and for employers to better support workers when it occurs.
March 4 Justice near you! Rallies across Australia today
Members are advised this email discusses sexual assault
Over the past few weeks we have all watched as our national Parliament was revealed to be a workplace that is unsafe, and particularly unsafe for women. It comes at a time when our Australian of the Year, Grace Tame, speaks bravely and boldly to us all about doing better for survivors of violence, rape and sexual assault.
People are getting together to show these injustices are not OK and that workers should be safe at work and at home. Thousands of people all over the country are getting together to organise: some for the first time in their lives. If you have followed the news wondering, “What can I do?” the events below might be for you. We have collected these together for you to see what might be going on in your local community.
Please notes these events are not being organised by PSA or other unions, but we hope to enable people taking action by sharing these. You can find more information online at the following links:
National Parks and Wildlife Service Joint Consultative Committee meeting: March 2021
On Wednesday 10 March the PSA and its delegates met with Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE)/National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Atticus Fleming, Naomi Stephens, Andrew Nicholls and Robert Quirk were in attendance for NPWS to discuss a range of issues.
Establishment review; vacant positions and the stimulus package
Atticus Fleming advised the meeting that in 2017 there were 1500 full-time equivalent (FTE) and as at January 2021 there were 1880 FTE. Additional funding from the Commonwealth for a range of projects will increase the National Parks’ FTE. However, it was acknowledged that many of the new roles were temporary. He also advised that whilst funding to the agency has increased, so too has the workload.
The PSA advised the meeting that some branches had only recruited field staff with no additional staff to support the 85 additional field staff recruited. Hence current staff bore the burden of training; mentoring and ordering additional uniform, vehicles, firefighting PPE and other administrative duties, as well as managing projects these staff work on.
It was also acknowledged there is a significant attrition rate among poorly paid staff. Hence it was counterintuitive to recruit such staff on a temporary basis to see them leave after being equipped and trained simply because they weren’t being paid a living wage. Mr Fleming also indicated additional funding should be forthcoming with projects dealing with bushfire recovery, koala habitat, RoLEM and flora reserve transfers. He indicated he would meet with the PSA to discuss roles to be recruited to support these projects.
Women’s issues to be standing item on JCC agenda
The PSA advised the meeting that a conversation was required on gender equality (consistent with NSW Government policy) and that specific issues pertaining to female members: as identified in the PSA What Women Want survey report in October 2020. Issues such as flexible work; pay equity; mental health; bullying and harassment; career progression and superannuation should be discussed and progressed.
The PSA noted the specific work environment of the NPWS and the need to engage on gender equity discussions at Joint Consultative Committees (JCC). In spite of robust discussion on the matter, the Department indicated it was not the appropriate forum to discuss such issues. It was disappointing to see this position. Clearly this is not the PSA’s position and we will raise these issues every meeting regardless of the Department’s unwillingness to discuss them.
Work Health and Safety
The meeting was advised that DPIE would continue to monitor its COVID response consistent with any changes to the public health order (as staff return to their workplaces). A Health and Wellbeing Strategy for the cluster is being prepared for roll out soon.
The PSA asked questions in relation to the number of and recording of incidents and injuries of staff and visitors, aggressive behaviour and fatalities attended by staff and subsequent mental health issues of staff. The PSA was advised that CAAMs is the primary system for recording such matters. However, the Department was advised that this system is not without its faults and hence does not encourage members to report such incidents. Further to this, there is no paper based back up system if the on line system fails.
In relation to mental health of staff the meeting was advised that additional ‘mental health support staff’ have been visiting Branches to discuss any issues that members may have with workplace incidents. However, reporting of many incidents and the seeking of assistance of such support staff is said to be one in 10 staff. Further to this the EAP’s assistance line appears not to operate 24/7 (however the meeting was advised that the contract with the delivering company indicates it must operate 24/7).
If you are having problems with the reporting of incidents, or the resolution of Workplace Health and Safety matters, please contact the PSA Member Support Centre for advice and assistance on 1800 772 679.
Law enforcement
The PSA advised the meeting that members require more legal and Special Investigator support. The meeting was advised a ‘Duty Solicitor’ has not been in place for a number of years and that additional support would be provided over Easter from Special Investigators. After Easter the Department will look at better access to Special Investigators. Further to this the Department indicated that the Duty Solicitor was removed due to a ‘reprioritising of work’. It was felt by the PSA that this may have been due to the volume of work being provided by NPWS members.
The Department has committed to forming a Law Enforcement working group to review a range of issues including training, compliance database, policies and procedures around law enforcement.
The PSA again reminded the Department of the need to ensure that all staff doing compliance have completed the mandatory level 1 law enforcement training and also of the need to roll out level 2 law enforcement training.
Housing policy
The PSA acknowledged the movement towards the implementation of the policy. However, it was made clear that consultation on the policy was cut short with the unions so that much of the final policy was not agreed to by the PSA. Others issues raised was the entitlement of staff to be accommodated by way of Expressions of Interest (EoI); the number of cottages being rented and status of disused buildings not being made available to rent by EoI.
Uniform allowance
The PSA requested clarification on the classifications that were entitled to be paid the allowance. The Department indicated it would look at data to determine who was entitled to the allowance. A separate meeting between the PSA and the Department will be held to progress this issue.
Uniform Reference Group (URG)
The PSA raised the concern of members that the development of the new NPWS uniform was being expedited as funding was required to be spent by the end of this financial year. On that basis, the URG was being circumvented on decisions in relation to items of fire PPE; colour; texture and fabric and trial of such items. The PSA asked that the URG be engaged on such decisions.
Join us TODAY to celebrate International Womens’ Day!
You can join a watch party to hear about What Women Want at work, or learn more about your super. Watch parties are starting at 12:00pm and 1:00pm, but you can join wherever you are, whenever suits you. You can log on and view the material HERE.
Please download a posterHERE to promote the day to your colleagues and join union women in celebrating International Women’s Day in a 21st-century, COVID-safe manner. Watch these at a time that suits you, together with other union members, and share your thoughts with us. Join us online and send selfies or photos to us at [email protected]u or use the hashtag #ChooseToChallenge to spread the word, follow us on socials for more union and women’s news.
For those in Sydney, you can join a COVID-safe event at 5:30pm on Monday 8 March 2021 at Domain Park (behind Parliament House, north end of Hospital Road). Because of COVID-19 safety restrictions, registrations are essential and we are limited to 500 – you can register HERE.
Celebrate International Women’s Day with your union
This year, the way we celebrate International Women’s Day looks different as we all strive to keep each other safe during a pandemic.
What hasn’t changed is our solidarity, and our struggle. To honour this, your union has several ways we can come together and celebrate this year.
Celebrate International Women’s Day with a COVID-friendly watch party on 8 March with the PSA CPSU NSW.
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is Choose to Challenge.
We have so much still to challenge in our workplaces, including sexual violence and harassment, the ongoing gender pay gap and a lack of workplace flexibility.
Dating back to 1909, International Women’s Day sees women all over the world celebrate their wins and draw attention to battles still to be won.
You can join other union women on a watch party. Hear about issues that matter to you at work – catch up on the What Women Want report or how women should approach super. You can log on and view the materialHERE.
Please download a poster HERE to promote the day to your colleagues and join union women in celebrating International Women’s Day in a 21st-century, COVID-safe manner. Watch these at a time that suits you, together with other union members, and share your thoughts with us.
Join us online and send selfies or photos to us at[email protected]or use the hashtag #ChooseToChallenge to spread the word, follow us on socials for more union and women’s news.
For those in Sydney, you can join a COVID-safe event at 5:30pm on Monday 8 March 2021 at Domain Park (behind Parliament House, north end of Hospital Road). Because of COVID-19 safety restrictions, registrations are essential and we are limited to 500 – you can register HERE.
Unions NSW will be livestreaming the event and we will share details once we have them.
For those who would like an event at a different speed, there is the IWD Jessie Street Lecture on “The Future of Work: Building gender-sensitive workplaces beyond COVID”. This presentation will seek to bring together what we know about the gender dimensions of the future of work with the major structural shocks and various accelerations associated with the COVID pandemic.
Dr Jeni Klugman will address the following questions:
How can COVID be an opportunity to advance gender equality rather than reinforce existing inequalities? What does building back better mean in the workplace?
Date: Wednesday 10 March 2021 Time: 1.00pm – 2.00pm (Australian Eastern Daylight Time AEDT) via Zoom: Registrants will be provided with the Zoom link 24 hours prior to the Webinar.
Statement on the sexual assault and harassment of political staffers in the Australian Parliament
Every worker deserves a safe workplace, regardless of where they are employed.
The Public Service Association of NSW/CPSU NSW condemns all forms of sexual violence as unacceptable and is deeply concerned at reports emerging from our Federal Parliament.
Sexual assault and harassment are criminal offences and we encourage anyone subjected to this behaviour to call the police. All workers should be able to feel safe at work and all legislators, state and federal, must ensure the Parliaments that establish our laws set the highest possible workplace standards. This must begin with enforcing existing laws for all parliamentary staff and Members of Parliament.
The Public Service Association of NSW covers electorate and ministerial staff members in the NSW Parliament. Unfortunately, we have had to support our members experiencing bullying and harassment issues whilst working for MPs from all political parties.
The PSA conducted our What Women Want survey last year. The largest survey of working women in NSW, What Women Want found that sexual harassment, when combined with workplace bullying, remains one of the top-six issues women want focussed on at work. Women shared their stories of being harassed, then their employers refusing to act.
The role of a political staffer is made more vulnerable because of the limitation of the enforced temporary nature of staffer employment, and the limited appeal jurisdiction available to them. Political staffers have less employment protection than other workers, but this should be no excuse for failing to make their workplaces safe.
We commit to work with the NSW Parliament to improve the mechanisms in place to combat sexual harassment and assault, including the compliance officer role being designed at present.
The PSA Executive has improved how we support members experiencing sexual harassment and assault including by introducing our Legal Services Unit and restoring the role of Women’s Officer. We will continue to work on mechanisms in workplaces to reduce the incidence of sexual harassment and assault and for employers to better support workers when it occurs.
The safest workplace is a unionised workplace.
Stewart Little General Secretary Public Service Association of NSW
Your CPSU Bargaining team has met with the Company on 18 January and 2 February this year to continue negotiations for a new enterprise agreement. This is a unique and unusual set of negotiations due to FSS+VicSuper+WA Super merging, 2 enterprise agreements + 1 modern award + employer policies & hundreds of individual contracts being the starting point.
Union consultation has been hampered by the Company proposing a very, very limited and difficult to understand scope of who they intend the agreement to apply to. Part of the main confusion is regarding which groups of employees are in ‘core coverage’ and which are in ‘annexure’.
Under the Company‘s proposal:
Former First State Super employees will be one of:
Core coverage,
Award covered contract or
non-award contract.
Former VicSuper employees will be one of:
Core coverage,
Annexure coverage,
Award covered contract or
non-award contract
To find out which instrument may apply to you, so you can then find out which set of pay & conditions may apply to you, review the documents that AwareSuper has placed on the intranet, and see if your job title is listed under Core coverage or Annexure. The relevant document has two pages, the first called Current job titles in the Core coverage of the EA with the second page titled VicSuper job titles covered by the Annexure.
If you cannot find your current job title, or it is listed under both groups, seek clarification from HR and copy the Union in on your request:[email protected] (VIC) [email protected] (NSW)
There have been a number of changes made to certain positions that were wrongly listed after enquiries from the affected staff. This is why it is very important to check where you
The Union considers that this proposal by Aware Super attempts to cut wages & conditions from as many employees as possible, hand maximum power to management as possible, and deny employees a collective voice, while extracting as much labour as possible (ie work) from each employee and hope that no one notices that they could be underpaid when compared to the national minimum wages & conditions for their work in this industry.
To view your Unions summary and assessment of the Company’s proposal regarding remuneration and related conditions, please click HERE
Your CPSU Bargaining Team cannot recommended that members accept this proposal as it stands as we consider that what you are being offered, will result in:
significant cuts to wages & conditions for the majority of employees;
increased disparity between workers doing the same or substantially similar work with reduced transparency;
a widening of the pay gap between women and men working at Aware Super;
increases in bullying and nepotism as mangers are given increasing power over their employees with less and less oversight and accountability; and
expanding systemic risks of potential underpayment of employees to become a structural, inherent feature of how the Company chooses to regulate the employment relationship with you & your colleagues
For full time workers, we spend more than a third of our working week either being at, or going to and from, work. The way your workplace is regulated, and the pay & conditions you and your colleagues are provided with, play a key role in your experience of being at work.
Please start thinking about
what sort of workplace you want to spend a majority of you time each week being a part of, and
what would the key features be of this sort of workplace? A workplace that you want to be a part of?
What other elements would you have in a workplace you would want to be a part of all day every day, week after week?
Please keep an eye out for invitations later this week or next week for meetings to discuss with your Union and Bargaining Representatives in Victoria and in NSW, regarding how you feel about the Company’s proposal, what you would like to see for yourself and your colleagues that you consider is fair, reasonable, equitable and inclusive.
Further summaries and analysis are on their way. Please keep an eye out for those as well.
Forward this to the colleagues in your team and anyone you know at Aware Super. If you know someone who isn’t yet a CPSU member, ask them to JOIN the CPSU today.
Employees in Victoria can join the CPSU VIC Branch www.cpsuvic.org or CPSU VIC Industrial Officer Mandy Coulson, [email protected]
If you are in the same team or work unit of any of the above Bargaining Representatives, you can find out more about what is happening in bargaining and have direct, local input into the negotiations by JOINING the CPSU. We also recommend (if you’re comfortable doing so) to copy & paste the following into an email and send to Mark Bartlet at [email protected], and copy your local Bargaining Representative.
Dear Mark Bartlett,
I nominate (Bargaining Representative name) as my Bargaining Representative for the negotiations for an enterprise agreement at Aware Super,
