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Rosters and rostis

  26 August 2020

The CPSU NSW has updates on your entitlements in regard to two important issues in your workplace – your rostering arrangements and meal allowances – which you need to be aware of over the coming weeks and months.

Rostering

The CPSU NSW met with Denise Alexander, Deputy Manager, regarding what rostering rules were in place. It is clear the current rostering system remains somewhat less than desirable, being coordinated off site and operationally different depending on which ‘department’ you are in. There remain some consistent principles however:

• You should be averaging 38 hours of ordinary time during your roster cycle,
• Your roster cycle should be either fortnightly, four weekly or longer in Security and Ops,
• You should have a minimum of 48 hours between shifting from day to night shifts and vice versa,
• You should have a minimum 10 hours between shifts,
• You should not be rostered more than 48 hours’ ordinary time between a long break of 2-4 days.

The roster is clearly being supplemented at the moment by an unusually large amount of rostered overtime, to which some of these rules particularly regarding breaks should still apply.

The roster for Security and Ops is particularly problematic – changes are being made with fewer than 12 hours’ notice to start times and posts. Management has advised the CPSU NSW that this will get to 48 hours’ notice when the staffing for that area becomes stable – although we don’t know when that will be.

Finally, several members have raised concerns about their start and finish times. The CPSUNSW  understands that management has relocated the ‘kaba’ system to the gatehouse. Members are advised that your Award includes “time occupied by an employee in filling in any time record or in the making of records” as working time, but confusingly not time spent “checking in or out when entering or leaving”. Consequently it is the CPSU NSW’s view that you are on duty from the moment you clock in on the ‘kaba’, not when you arrive at your post.

If you have any issues with your roster in relation to any of these entitlements above, members are encouraged to raise these with management. If the response is unsatisfactory please advise us through the contact details below.

Once again, it comes back to the same issues:

1. The rostering is challenged because there are not enough staff
2. There are not enough staff and there are challenges with recruitment and retention because wages are poor
3. Wages are poor because you do not have an enterprise agreement!

Your rostering will consequently not improve until we obtain an enterprise agreement. Three steps you can take today to make this happen:

1. Complete a ‘pledge card’ indicating your support for enterprise bargaining to commence. These are available through CPSU NSW organisers visiting the Centre in the Mess Hall every week.
2. Join the CPSU NSW at – every member will be placed on a special low introductory rate of $7.30 per week until enterprise bargaining
3. Speak to your colleagues about the importance of enterprise bargaining and joining the CPSU NSW

Meal allowances

The CPSU NSW has been advised there have been some issues with the payment of meal allowances in recent weeks and reminds you of your entitlements:

1. If you are required to take a meal break at your post or perform more than two hours’ overtime – $17.31
2. If you are away from the gaol on escort or otherwise,

a. Breakfast (6am-8am) – $20.27
b. Lunch (12pm-2pm) – $20.27
c. Dinner (after 6pm) – $33.79

Once again, if you are not receiving these allowances, you are encouraged to raise it with management and if the answer is unsatisfactory, please contact us below

Contact us

CPSU NSW Grafton Office
2/12 Prince Street, Grafton

Telephone the CPSU NSW on 1800 772 679