The CPSU has launched legal action to prevent Centrelink unfairly passing 'utility' charges on to staff working temporarily in the Northern Territory.
Without consultation, Centrelink management have reneged on an existing arrangement to cover normal living costs (including utility bills) for NTOG employees on Temporary Transfer consistent with clause 77.10 in Section F of the collective agreement.
Affected staff have been told they must provide personal banking details to Centrelink so the agency can transfer utility bills from the agency to individual staff. Staff have also been told that if they refuse to provide their personal banking details, Centrelink will advise the utility providers to cut off the power to their temporary accomodation.
On 11 June, the CPSU notified a dispute with Centrelink over their new interpretation of the travel allowance provisions to ensure employees are not disadvantaged as a result of their temporary relocation.
Your union is advising members not to provide personal details or accept liability for utility bills.
Consistent with clause 8.2 of the agreement, existing work arrangements should continue until a dispute is resolved, ie Centrelink should continue to pay for utilities.
The latest advertised vacancies for NTOG Temporary Transfers have been changed to include a statement that employees moving temporarily to the NT will now be required to pay "normal utility expenses" as a condition of service.
The CPSU is concerned that Centrelink's policy change will make it harder for the agency to attract and retain staff for the intervention program.
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Comments(8)
Posted by:NN - 11 Aug 2009, 10:36am Field staff seem to be treated like mushrooms.. kept in the dark and feed crap!! Management and HR are very top heavy and very experience at changing the rules to suit their needs!! Too much bullying for my liking thats why I'm not there anymore.. But I do feel for the remote customers.. Visiting teams seem to be getting smaller and smaller, missing a week here and there.. All this hard work we have done over the past 2 years just seems to be wasting away.. And wasting more and more tax payers money in the process!!
Posted by:United I Stand! - 9 Jul 2009, 7:57pm Who is interpreting the Agreement, are they paying utility bills in 2 locations....Fight for your rights and Unite!
Posted by:michelle - 8 Jul 2009, 8:31pm NTOG Management keep making up their own rules to suit their own needs. Lets remember its the ground staff that are the face of Centrelink and do all the hard work. Its been too many times that oh&s issues have been pushed under the rug as well as harrassment issues. Staff arnt happy at all with Management, but they are too scared to speak up due to fear of being sent home. They can always do another lets call it a "recruitment"..bringing in un experienced staff and re-training spending thousands of tax payers dollars..im still not sure why experienced staff have been sent home??
Posted by:steve ruiter - 8 Jul 2009, 12:51pm Do as I did send a message with your bags packed and head home to your comfy beds.Without staff on the ground Centrlink will fail on the delivery of this politicaly sensitive policy. This is the only way any changes will be made. IF NTOG looses majority of staff questions will be asked from the very top of Goverment as to why they canot retain staff and why they are failing to deliver results.
Posted by:I wish I had a doona cover - 7 Jul 2009, 2:39pm We work hard to 'close the gap' for Indigenous Australians, While NTOG management widens the gap with employee relationships! I bet NTOG management are sound and sweet snuggled under their Centrelink logo doona covers!!
Field staff seem to be treated like mushrooms.. kept in the dark and feed crap!! Management and HR are very top heavy and very experience at changing the rules to suit their needs!! Too much bullying for my liking thats why I'm not there anymore.. But I do feel for the remote customers.. Visiting teams seem to be getting smaller and smaller, missing a week here and there.. All this hard work we have done over the past 2 years just seems to be wasting away.. And wasting more and more tax payers money in the process!!
Who is interpreting the Agreement, are they paying utility bills in 2 locations....Fight for your rights and Unite!
NTOG Management keep making up their own rules to suit their own needs. Lets remember its the ground staff that are the face of Centrelink and do all the hard work. Its been too many times that oh&s issues have been pushed under the rug as well as harrassment issues. Staff arnt happy at all with Management, but they are too scared to speak up due to fear of being sent home. They can always do another lets call it a "recruitment"..bringing in un experienced staff and re-training spending thousands of tax payers dollars..im still not sure why experienced staff have been sent home??
Do as I did send a message with your bags packed and head home to your comfy beds.Without staff on the ground Centrlink will fail on the delivery of this politicaly sensitive policy. This is the only way any changes will be made. IF NTOG looses majority of staff questions will be asked from the very top of Goverment as to why they canot retain staff and why they are failing to deliver results.
We work hard to 'close the gap' for Indigenous Australians, While NTOG management widens the gap with employee relationships! I bet NTOG management are sound and sweet snuggled under their Centrelink logo doona covers!!