EBA CAMPAIGN UPDATE #2
Protected industrial action
Congratulations to all members who have been taking protected industrial action and those who were able to participate in the stop work community rallies on 28 and 29 October.
You are sending a strong proud message to Churches of Christ and any potential purchaser of these facilities that you will not be taken for granted and demand fair wages and working conditions.
All stage 1 bans remain in place. Continue to implement:
- wearing the red campaign t-shirts
- handing out the dear resident and family letters and talking to them about your campaign
- calling talkback radio or writing a letter to the editor
- posting on social media
- administration bans
- data entry bans
- paperwork bans
- taking your full breaks
- refusing overtime.
You can read the full list of industrial action currently in place on the Churches of Christ campaign resources page via anmfvic.asn.au/ccresources.
Status of negotiations
ANMF lodged a bargaining dispute in the Fair Work Commission and a conciliation hearing was held before Commissioner Redford on Monday 11 November.
Churches of Christ finally presented a comprehensive response to the ANMF members’ log of claims, but did not make a wage offer. ANMF understands the response was made in consultation with the prospective purchaser. While the response has some positive aspects, it repeated the employer’s claim to reduce personal leave to 10 days (from the current maximum 21 days in the fifth year of service for all new employees, while the current employees’ entitlement would be preserved). Churches of Christ restated it expected the sale of Oak Towers and Arcadia to be completed by 15 December.
On the basis of the time constraint until purchase and the need for a new enterprise agreement (or variation to the expired enterprise agreement) to protect current staff, the ANMF agreed to draft a variation to the expired agreement. This means we will effectively insert the current wage rates plus bring allowances/penalties up to a standard which will allow any variation or new enterprise agreement to be approved. Churches of Christ has agreed to consider that draft. ANMF will send the draft to the employer on Thursday 14 November and the parties will meet in the Commission again on Tuesday 19 November.
Stop work and community rallies
ANMF has given your employer notice that we will hold a STOP WORK and MEETING outside your facility on the following dates:
- Arcadia: Monday 18 November 1–5pm
- Oak Towers: Tuesday 19 November 1–5pm
Download your rally poster from the campaign resources page anmfvic.asn.au/cceba-resources.
We ask all morning and afternoon staff to either stop work two hours before your usual shift finish time (AM shift) or not go in to work until two hours after your usual shift start time (PM shift).
These stop-work meetings are item 23 on the protected industrial action order: Single and/or consecutive work stoppages of up to four (4) hours duration including such stoppages to travel for and to attend stop-work meetings (including those organised and directed by the ANMF).
ANMF staff will be there from 1pm and stay until 5pm to support staff. We will provide a light lunch and drinks.
Bring your signs and placards.
Campaign resources
Please keep using your campaign resources page via anmfvic.asn.au/cceba-resources.
Online petition
Please keep sharing the Churches of Christ online petition calling on the not-for-profit organisation to stop taking nurses and personal care workers for granted and to urgently improve wages and conditions.
Email the CEO campaign
Please keep sharing the link to send Churches of Christ CEO Billy Lyon an email calling on him to demonstrate his organisation values the work of nurses and personal care workers and the residents in their care.
Take photos and video of your action
take photos and short video of members wearing the campaign t-shirts or reading their letter to the editor or Churches of Christ management so we can share these on ANMF’s social media channels and in our publications. Please don’t email photos or video as the quality will be reduced. Instead upload the original-sized files to our Churches of Christ Dropbox folder via anmfvic.asn.au/ccbox.
Hardship fund and reporting pay docking threats or harassment
It is your right under the Fair Work Act to take protected industrial action in support of the campaign for an enterprise agreement.
‘Protected’ means you cannot be terminated or disciplined for taking industrial action – provided it is action within the list below.
ANMF will support members who are threatened, intimidated or harassed or who lose pay as a result of taking protected industrial action. Where a member loses income as a result of protected industrial action and is facing hardship, the ANMF (Vic Branch) will support that member financially through our hardship fund. In the recent Bolton Clarke dispute we paid out over $34,000 to members in over 300 claims.
During the protected industrial action campaign members have access to two forms to:
- report pay docking threats, intimidation and harassment via anmfvic.asn.au/ccreport.
- make a hardship fund application to be supported by your union via anmfvic.asn.au/cchardshipform. Please note members will need to upload pay slip evidence of pay docking as part of any application.
Got a query?
If you have any queries please contact your Organiser Simon Olden (Oak Towers) or Lisa Miller (Arcadia) through records@anmfvic.asn.au
