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Aruma Enterprise Bargaining Bulletin 21/09/2023

  22 September 2023

Your Aruma Enterprise Bargaining Representatives met with Management and the ASU to discuss the new enterprise agreement on 20 September 2023.

Bargaining discussions are progressing and the main topics discussed at the last meeting included:

• Sleepover shifts
  • Proposed increase in payment from 3.5 hours to 8 hours.
  • A clear definition of what constitutes a disturbance on sleepover shifts.
  • Defining fair compensation to you for a disturbance during your sleepover shift.
  • Restricting sleepover shifts and a preference for active night shifts.
  • Aruma raised NDIS funding restrictions and discussions continue.
• No unpaid meal breaks – when DSWs eat with residents as part of their support program CPSU NSW says it should be paid time. Or, during staff shortages and members have to eat on the run while they support the running of the group home. Sometimes mistakes happen and members do not get paid in this situation unless the union raises it with management.
• Shift penalty rates and Breaks between shifts fair payment and also the impact on rostering is important for members. CPSU NSW continues to press for enhanced provisions that will best suit our members.
• Introduction of Gender Affirmation Leave into the enterprise agreement
• Minimum shift length where CPSU NSW is pushing for 4 hours. Feedback from members indicates that a 2 hour team meeting does not allow enough time to work through a loaded meeting agenda.

CPSU NSW says that even if the team meeting does not last 4 hours, the balance of time can be utilised to perform other productive work.

Part time staff should be included in the team meeting. To facilitate participation in the team meeting, greater use of videoconferencing would be helpful.

• Split shifts should be restricted to part time or casual employees. Full time staff should not be rostered on for split shifts.

If full time staff want to work split shifts (eg if they have carers responsibilities) then they should be able to negotiate with their manager.

CPSU NSW seeks to avoid split shifts becoming the norm because there are issues such as travel time, fuel and other costs which the worker has to bear when rostered on for split shifts.

The next Aruma EA Meeting is 14 October 2023.

Please print this bulletin and place on the union Noticeboard.