Eskleigh Workers to Stop Work Tomorrow
Members of the Health and Community Services Union (HACSU) employed by disability services provider, Eskleigh Foundation, are taking industrial action tomorrow after negotiations for an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) reached a deadlock.
Eskleigh’s original EBA offer did not include any wage rise even though these workers have been without a wage rise for almost 2 years. Following lengthy negotiations Eskleigh only put forward an offer of 2% which was rejected by members this week.
“This Enterprise Agreement involves approximately 100 disability support staff in the North and the South of the State who work day in day out with high workloads and very low wages and conditions.” said HACSU Assistant State Secretary Tim Jacobson.
“Workers at Eskleigh have been very patient with their employer but after nearly two years without a wage rise and 12 months of negotiations; Eskleigh has still failed to make a reasonable offer that members could accept.” Tim Jacobson said. “Eskleigh’s offer has not compensated workers in any way for not receiving a wage rise since July 2009.”
“These disability and community sector workers are committed to supporting the disabled in our community but financially they can barely keep their head above water.”
“Disability clients need a high standard of care and this will not be achieved by cheating the workers who care for these people.”
Workers will attend a Stop Work meeting tomorrow (Friday 3 June) at the Entrance to the Eskleigh Home in Perth at 9.30 am.
“Industrial Action will continue with workplace bans following the Stop Work meetings.”
“Eskleigh can no longer ignore the demanding workload their workers face day after day for minimal wages and conditions. If we are to provide the disabled in our community with quality care, then workers need the respect and conditions they deserve.”
• Dear CPSU Member,
Yesterday afternoon the Premier responded to our Campaign Update with a press release further clarifying the Government’s position on the use of flex or other approved absences to attend the June 16 Budget Day Rally at Parliament House. Ms Giddings said the State Government had offered flexible options for union members to use flexi-time, leave entitlements and other measures to attend the rally:
“…It (the government) would also ensure that union members who want to attend the rally can do so without losing pay, provided they use one of the above options.” “We will still be offering workers the opportunity to take-up our offer of flexible leave options, but it is not normal practice to pay those who simply choose not to attend work.”
It now appears the Premier has committed to all union members accessing some form of paid absence or flex time to attend the rally but, if you are refused time away from work to attend, the instruction from yesterday’s update still applies:
If you have access to flexitime, TOIL, leave etc that you wish to use to cover your time at the rally please seek approval in the normal way. If the request is refused or you don’t have access to such provisions tell your manager your union has instructed you to participate in industrial action by attending a stop work meeting from 2:30 – 3:30pm (plus travel time) on Thursday June 16 so you’ll be unavailable for work.
The stop-work instruction is a fall-back protection for Members but, given the Premier’s media statement, all union members should be offered “the opportunity to take-up our offer of flexible leave options” and no one should be knocked back.
I look forward to seeing you, your family and friends on 16 June on Parliament Lawns.
In Unity,
Mat Johnston
Assistant General Secretary
Community and Public Sector Union
