TAFE & Adult Provision Disability MEA update
The AEU, HACSU and disability employers have been meeting regularly over the past six months to negotiate a new Multi-Enterprise Agreement (MEA) covering both community-based and day services (AEU members) and residential care workers (HACSU).
The original MEA, in effect since 2019, was negotiated for members who were employed across 20-plus different employers. It came about because disability workers wanted an agreement that would improve working entitlements across the industry and set an industry benchmark that valued workers through wages above the award.
Throughout the pandemic, many disability workers were negatively impacted – the nature of their work changed, hours were cut, they were stood down without pay. Countless qualified workers left the sector – a sector that is already desperately short of workers.
The unions and employer representatives will jointly pressure the state government to fund professional development, and lobby the federal government in relation to the NDIS.
With this front of mind, unions and employer representatives have developed a charter that outlines bargaining principles for continued negotiations, and makes a commitment to cooperatively lobby governments for better funding.
The unions and employer representatives will jointly pressure the state government to fund professional development, and lobby the federal government in relation to the NDIS. This will include making joint and individual submissions to the NDIS Review, and pushing for the NDIS model to account for the full costs associated with delivery, support and care.
In good news, we have secured a one-year rollover agreement, which was overwhelmingly endorsed by disability members. This will deliver an immediate pay increase and some improvements to conditions whilst negotiations continue.
We will keep you informed about the progress of negotiations through written communications and at our statewide disability member meetings. Find your next meeting at aeuvic.asn.au/aeu-disability-member-meetings.
