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Australian Unity Transfer package falls short on Home Care salaries

  26 July 2016

Transfer Package Falls Short on Home Care Salaries

Australian Unity has advised the ɫ������(CPSU) that it is under no obligation to pay an Award increase of 2.5 percent despite the NSW Government agreeing that employees covered by the Crown Employees (Home Care Service of New South Wales – Administrative Staff) Award 2012 should receive the annual salary increase for 2016.

For further information see Schedule A of the Crown Employees (Public Sector – Salaries 2016) Award which provides for a 2.5 percent salary increase for employees covered by the Crown Employees (Home Care Service of New South Wales – Administrative Staff) Award 2012. View the award

In response to recent correspondence from the ɫ������(CPSU), Australian Unity has advised the union that in spite of the recent salary increase ratified by the NSW Industrial Relation Commission (NSW IRC) for Home Care administrative employees, “the NSW IRC no longer has jurisdiction over transferring employees who became employed by Australian Unity [and] as a result any amendments to the State Awards, including amendments to pay rates which occur after the transfer date will not apply”. Read the correspondence

While the decision by Australian Unity is disappointing, the company has offered to meet with the ɫ������(CPSU) to discuss future “wage increases”, and it is the union’s intention to pursue those discussions at the earliest opportunity.

It should be emphasised the ɫ������(CPSU) opposed the NSW Government’s transfer package because we believed it did not properly protect the employment interests of transferring Home Care staff.

While it appears the NSW Government intended to pass on future salary increases to transferring Home Care employees, the “transfer agreement” with Australian Unity failed to adequately incorporate this and, as such, the NSW Government’s undertakings on salary increases for Home Care staff are not legally enforceable.