Home Care - report on negotiations

On 17th March, a meeting was held with Brendan O'Reilly, Director General, and other key members of the DADHC Executive. The purpose of this meeting was to raise issues identified amongst the Home Care membership. From this meeting, it was established that an hour would be allocated at the state wide JCC held quarterly to Home Care issues. The first state - wide JCC was held on 1st June. At this meeting the following issues and decisions were made:

• The recent DADHC Flexible Working Hours agreement did not include Home Care staff.The Department undertook to look at the current DADHC agreement to determine if it was appropriate for Home Care. The PSA stated that the major issues with the current Flex Time arrangements were the number of flex days that can be taken and the number of credit hours that can be accumulated and carried over to the next period. Currently this is one flex day per settlement period of 1 month and a carry over 10 credit hours.
• Co-location.The PSA has requested a list of Home Care offices that are scheduled to co-locate with DADHC offices. When this information has been provided, meetings will be held with members affected to discuss any concerns that they may have regarding this. Of particular issue has been the expectation that Home Care Staff will relieve DADHC staff in DADHC positions and not receive higher duties where applicable. This was proposed for the Gosford Office but as a result of members united action in refusing to undertake the DADHC roles, alternative arrangements were made.
• Home Care staff who are seconded to DADHC positions covered by the Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Award 2002 are entitled to all of the conditions within that award. An agreement was that this would apply to positions that had been advertised
• Members would know that the recent salaries award contained non salary enhancements that did not directly flow on to Home Care. The PSA has been successful in achieving for Home Care staff access to the increase in paid Maternity Leave to 14 weeks at full pay and also the introduction of 1 weeks paid Parental Leave. Access to these provisions is from 1 January 2005. The Association has made formal representations to the Director General asserting that Home Care staff should have access to the remaining non-salary enhancements contained in the Award. In the case of Home Care administrative employees, the Crown Employees (Home Care Service of New South Wales-Administrative Staff) Award 2004 makes provision for a "flow on" consequent upon a variation to the Crown Employees (public Sector-Salaries January 2002) Award. This should be applied to salary and non-salary enhancements.
• When Home Care Services became part of DADHC the Association's Home Care Departmental Committee ceased to exist. Now that we have re-established specific HomeCare consultation at the state wide JCC it is essential that we re-establish the HomeCare Departmental Committee. This requires approval from the Executive. A report setting out the electorates for the Departmental Committee is being prepared for consideration and endorsement at the July meeting of the Associations Executive.
• The electorates will be based on the current DADHC Regions but will include an extra region of Aboriginal Home Care. Listed are those electorates. When approval is given the ballot will be advertised in the relevant edition of Red Tape. It is hoped that this will be in the September October edition.

Metro West Area

Metro South West Area

South East Sydney Area

Metro North Area

Hunter Area

Southern Area

Northern Area

Western Area

Aboriginal HomeCare

• Meetings have been held regarding other conditions contained in the Crown Employees (Home Care Services Of New South Wales - Administrative Staff) Award 2004 that are less than other DADHC staff. The Association is waiting for a response from those initial discussions.

Regional Organisers
Bathurst Michael Fogarty	T: 6332 1720 F: 6332 1535 105 Keppel Street, Bathurst 2795
Lismore John Campbell	T: 6621 4450 F: 6621 4690 Suite 1, 76 Woodlark Street, (PO Box 818) Lismore 2480
Newcastle Michael Sinclair	T: 4929 4788 F: 4929 4798 Suite 4, Level 1 Devonshire House, 406-408 King Street, Newcastle West 2302
Tamworth Peter Szacsvay	T: 6766 5488 F: 6766 3352 2/137 Marius Street (PO Box 682) Tamworth 2340
Wagga Peter Hood	T: 6921 6522 F: 6921 9663 1/45 Fitzmaurice Street, Wagga Wagga 2650
Wollongong Felix Bronneberg	T: 4226 4749 F: 4226 4667 Suite 3, 8/10 Victoria Street, (PO Box 1470) Wollongong 2500