Welcome new members who have joined us over the past month! You’re a part of something bigger and are helping to contribute to improving our health and community services sectors!

A special welcome to the many new members who have joined us from The Tipping Foundation, where we’ve seen a 30% increase in members since the start of the year! Members are in the process of negotiating a new Enterprise Agreement and HACSU Organisers Ginny and Sam have attended 22 team meetings and counting! Some of the common issues we’ve heard about thus far include:

• Pay increases are needed
• Increase to sleepover allowances
• Changes to the shift restrictions after a sleep over
• Members want Team Leaders back on site

We all know that the best wages and conditions are won when we have high union density – that means we need as many members as possible voting for the best outcomes for all! To be successful in bargaining at The Tipping Foundation, we need even more members to join!

Talk to your colleagues today about joining HACSU and let us know if you want us to come out to a team meeting at your worksite. You can contact Senior Organiser Ginny ginnya@hacsu.asn.au

We’re musing in May. This month, we’re reflecting on the great union we’ve built up together! Each of you plays a role in improving and maintaining the rights for workers in the health and community services sector. When workers’ rights are under attack, we stand up and fight back!

Many members will be frustrated with the lack of recent improvements to industrial relations and the impact to working people and families with cuts to health, social services and education funding. Click here to read a message from HACSU State Secretary, Lloyd Williams about our continued work as a strong union, made up of dedicated members.

We’ve also been back to visit workers at Longford keeping up the good fight in the ESSO dispute. These workers have been standing on the picket line for over 700 days now. You can follow their journey on Facebook but we’d also like to encourage members to start a face-to-face conversation with friends and family about the impact of our current workplace laws that have allowed for these families to be placed in such terrible circumstances.

Quality and Safeguards Commission

All disability workers will soon have to complete a mandatory online training module developed by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

We’ve been advised that the module will take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete.

As this is mandatory training, your employer must pay you to complete the training.

If your employer requests you to complete the training in your own time, politely refuse and tell them that they must pay you since the training is mandatory. Please also contact HACSU Assist (1300 651 931) to let us know so we can follow-up with your employer.

We’ll keep you updated about the Quality and Safeguards Commission as more information is made available to us. Know that as a union member, we’re here to help empower and support you to ensure you’re safe at work - if you have any questions, you can email us assist@hacsu.asn.au

EXCITING! New Member MyPage

We wanted to let you know that very soon we’ll be launching a new Member MyPage which will replace the existing Member Portal on our website. You’ll be able to download your 2018-19 Tax Statement as well as have access to previous years, as well as download your Professional Indemnity Insurance certificate.
 

Stay tuned! We’re busting to share many more exciting online features with you very soon!

FREE Training!

Coming up in June we have two rounds of FREE training available, including HSR Refresher Training in Ballarat for Health and Safety Representatives who need a refresh your knowledge about your rights and responsibilities. This training will take place on June 6th.

We also have HSR training in Carlton for new Health and Safety Representatives to learn all about the role. HACSU’s next round of Delegate training is coming up! The training will take place on 18-19th of June 2019. This training will take place on June 24th – 28th.

If you’re interested in attending either training session, or you have any further questions, please get in touch with us to register today! hacsu@hacsu.asn.au
 

Don’t forget we’re offering members a range of FREE training throughout the year! For more information, click here.

HACSU in June

On the calendar during May we recognised National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week. National Sorry Day acknowledges members of the Stolen Generations and today we voice our support as a union towards the continued journey of healing for indigenous people in Australia. 

Our office is located on the land of the Wurundjeri peoples and we acknowledge that this land that was stolen, never ceded. As a union made up of workers in caring professions, we understand the impact of inter-generational trauma and will consistently support the spiritual, emotional and cultural safety of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across our country.

Coming up in June, we will celebrate World Refugee Day on June 20th and Refugee Week from June 16th to 22nd. Australia has been referred to as a lucky country, and as movement, Australian unions support the plight of refugees and asylum seekers across the world.

The United Nations Refugee Agency estimates there are 68.5 million people globally who are forcibly displaced, a third of whom are children. There’s more we can do in Australia to support people who cannot live in their country of origin, for a number of reasons including threats of or actual physical and sexual violence or threats of death.

This month we had the absolute privilege of talking to one of our astonishing members Annie, who was a refugee who settled in Australia after many years of instability and great loss. Click here to read the story about her journey to Australia and what she loves about being a member of HACSU.

Members should also be aware that Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday is recognised on Monday June 10th. Make sure to check your pay slips and contact your payroll if you have any questions; if you still need help with any pay related issues you can contact us at assist@hacsu.asn.au

Good News!

We congratulate members at Ovens Murray Triage for their amazing win! Members have been successful in campaigning Albury Wodonga Health (AWH) to withdraw proposals to privatise Triage in the Ovens Murray Region.

AWH performed a review of the Triage team which lead to the proposed privatisation which would replace the current service with a call centre. HACSU members and officials lobbied AWH as to why they would even perform a review in the first place considering the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System is just beginning and decisions from which will affect triage services in Victoria.

AWH is a respected Government health service, it does not make sense that they would risk the serious nature of the local community’s mental health services to a call centre.  HACSU officials took these concerns to the media and to the State Government of Victoria, who agreed that it was a bad idea. The State Government shared concerns as to why AWH was not supporting the current triage team and function.

Common sense has prevailed – thanks to HACSU members! A huge congratulations to everyone involved. This is a testament to the importance of the mental health workforce in advocating for the best possible services for all Victorians. We are all looking forward to strengthening the triage services of AWH as a public service to the community of Ovens Murray Region and across Victoria more broadly!

We also wanted to updated on Senior Organiser Angela's fundraising efforts for the Cancer Council now that she's over half way to her target!

Angela will be entering into the Shitbox Rally 2019 Spring where she'll be trying to drive her amazing vehicle from Melbourne to Townsville, via Birdsville... Shitbox Rally is the largest community led fundraiser for the Cancer Council in Australia and is now in its 10th year. To support the cause and donate to the Cancer Council, click here or go to: https://2019spring.shitboxrally.com.au/pastafarian-pirates