When members approached us concerned about Centrelink’s misapplication of your conditions we initiated discussions with management. The primary issue was the changes to start and finish times made without consultation.
They now agree that start-up time should not be considered L&D time but they
think five minutes is enough.
What were the key issues of concern?
Start times shifted five minutes later to 7.55am.
The five minutes start up time and is to be taken out of your L&D time.
Finish times pushed back by 10 minutes to 5.30pm. For more details, see
our previous bulletin.
Start-up time is not L&D time
Centrelink agree and will re-credit employees L&D time for this error.
Start-up time will now be recorded as “off phone work” and will be
retrospectively adjusted. Please check you are getting the right time you need
for L&D.
Do you agree on what Centrelink consider reasonable?
Responding to our letter, based on your feedback; Centrelink advised us they
consider that five minutes start-up time is reasonable. They consider “JCN
business process, role, accountabilities and responsibilities are very different
to Call Canberra”; so that, section 68 of your agreement would not apply.
Section 68 ensures staff in Call have 10 minutes start-up time. What do you
think is reasonable? Complete the
short online snap poll
and tell us what you want us to do next.
If we are not Call why does it seem that way?
The CPSU office and the JCN CPSU Network has received lots of feedback from
employees on this issue. It’s clear that the problem is not just with start-up
and finish times. The bigger issue is that many of you were promised when you
went to JCN that it was another “Processing” team, and wouldn’t be like Call.
The changes in start-up times is a symptom of the approach Centrelink has
adopted.
Even though JCN is managed through the EEN Processing team working conditions
and performance measures are more like Call than Processing. For example:
Call
JCN
Processing
Average handling time
Length of breaks such as people support breaks
Number of claims completed
Quality of Calls
Average handling time
Length of breaks such as people support breaks
Number of claims completed
Quality of Calls
Number of claims completed
Quality of Calls
You have a choice. Please, tell us what you want to do now
We can seek assistance from the independent umpire, Fair Work Australia to
address the problems with start-up times. We can tell Centrelink that members
want changes to the performance measures and working conditions in JCN so it
reflects they work they do, and seek assistance from the independent umpire,
Fair Work Australia to address the problems with start-up times. Complete the
short online snap poll
and tell us what you want us to do next .
Our union is driven by members to support and assist you in enforcing your
rights. To have a say and build a stronger voice in JCN,
please join now.
Your involvement and your membership matters
Please, share this bulletin and ask one of your workmates to join your
union.
