Negotiations for your new enterprise agreement kicked off recently, with IRT management presenting what they have called a “final” wage offer, alongside a draft enterprise agreement that includes several significant changes to your conditions.

While IRT management have been quick to spruik some improved conditions such as paid parental leave, HSU members are concerned that staff are not being told the full story.

IRT’s draft agreement includes several changes that appear to reduce existing conditions, including:

• Part-Time Employment: Predictable rostering arrangements are weakened, undermining stability for part-time workers.
• Review of Part-Time Hours: Additional considerations now affect future guaranteed hours, reducing job security.
• Casual Employees: Clause is cut back to the bare legal minimum, removing current benefits.
• Home Care Customer Cancellations: Notice has been slashed from 24 hours to just 12, reducing fairness in scheduling.

HSU members have been clear that we will not support any cuts to current conditions and that all provisions in the agreement must meet or exceed the minimum standards set by the relevant Awards.

On top of proposed changes to conditions, HSU members are concerned that IRT is trying to rush this agreement through before Christmas.

Following a meeting of HSU delegates, we have written to IRT management today seeking an assurance that the negotiations will not be rushed, and that HSU members will be given adequate time to consider and respond to any of the major changes proposed.

We have sought IRT’s agreement on:

• A clear timeframe that allows proper negotiation and member consultation.
• Confirmation that negotiations will continue into next year, in a manner that allows all parties to participate in a constructive manner – including face-to-face meetings when necessary, with union bargaining representatives being released to attend meetings.
• Agreement of the parties to exchange relevant information, and to have adequate time to respond to each other’s claims and proposals.

Next steps

We are meeting with IRT tomorrow to continue the negotiations. Further, all HSU members are encouraged to attend an important union meeting next Tuesday 26 November at 6:00pm, via Zoom.

This will be an opportunity to discuss the negotiation so far, and for HSU members to endorse the claims and changes we wish to table for IRT to consider. Members will receive zoom login details prior to the meeting.

If your colleagues are not yet HSU members, encourage them to join the union today to stay up to date. New members can join online at www.hsu.asn.au/join or by calling 1300 478 679.