Service Workers Report On Act Govt: Encouraging Results But Room For Improvement

Service workers' Report Card on ACT Government's 1st Anniversary:
Encouraging results but room for improvement!

Service workers decided today the ACT Government has made good progress in its first year but has lots of room for improvement in key areas.

Hospitality, childcare, aged care, security and cleaning workers commemorated the first anniversary of the ACT Government by ranking their delivery of fairer working conditions over the past twelve months. The assessment has been recorded on a giant Report Card which the workers will deliver to the Government.

Lyndal Ryan, LHMU ACT Branch Secretary says "Service workers appreciate the Government's real achievements but many are disappointed by lack of progress in some areas.

"For example, portable long service leave legislation has been introduced in child care but not in aged care and child care professionals are very disappointed by the Government's failure to support LHMU's submission to COAG on improved adult to child ratios."

The ACT Government's 2009 Report Card*

SUBJECT:RATING

CHILD CARE
Support for COAG Submissions Adult:Child Ratios: Poor
Support for Sector Inductions: Poor
Portable Long Service Leave: Excellent

SECURITY
Agreement re Master Licences: Excellent
Changes to Training Requirements: Good
Portable Long Service Leave: Fail

CLEANING
Implementation of the Clean Start Commitments: Excellent
Consolidation of School Cleaning Contracts & Clean Start Requirements: Poor

HOSPITALITY
RSA Training to Include Worker Rights Information: Good

AGED CARE
Portable Long Service Leave: Poor

What workers say about the Government's achievements:

Kathy Onstenk, an ACT childcare professional and teacher, is pleased with the Government's introduction of long service leave for childcare but is disappointed with their response in other areas of importance to the child care sector. She also thinks the Government's decision not to include residential
aged care is a mistake that needs urgent remedial action.

Liam Fuller, a full-time student and casual hospitality worker says: "Traditionally, despite the significant role of casuals in the hospitality industry, focus has remained on permanent and part-time workers.

Introducing the Union to new employees early on highlights the importance of casual workers to the industry and lets people know that just because casuals have other commitments doesn't mean they have less rights. What we need are Government measures that provide information to hospitality workers as a part of induction training."

Chris Wagland, LHMU's ACT Branch Vice President and a cleaner was instrumental in having portable long service leave legislation introduced for cleaners. Chris is disappointed the Government has not, as yet, given its commitment to do the same for security officers. The ACT Government's support for the cleaning industry has really helped to win outcomes in the Clean Start campaign. Security officers and cleaners work side by side, sometimes for the same employers, whilst one worker's leave is portable, the other's is not.

"To be fair, the Minister responsible for portable leave in the security industry has only been in her current role for three days. We trust that she will give positive consideration to the issue of portable leave for the security industry and hope that we will be able to take a delegation of security officers to meet her in the very near future," says Lyndal Ryan.


*Explanation of ratings:

Excellent: The Government has delivered on its commitment
Good: The Government has made a commitment and a timeframe for implementation
Fair: The Government has made a commitment but there is no timeframe for implementation
Poor: The Government is listening but no commitment has been given
Fail: The Government has stopped listening

Contact :
Lyndal Ryan
- 0411 643 982 www.lhmu.org.au

SOURCE: LHMU