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Factory 98 Oriel Rd Bellfield 3081
Nursery 3 Wimpole Cres Bellfield 3081
Phone 03) 9497 3555
Phone 03) 9497 5014
Fax 03) 9497 3909
Fax 03) 9497 5715
issue 7
23/04/2015
May birthdays
We hope the following people have a
May Li,
Wes G,
Evan R
Matthew L,
Helen T,
April 25th ANZAC day - Saturday – NO Public Holiday
SAI audit
Thank you to all those people who have completed form to be part of the
Standards Audit on the 11th and 12th May 2015. There are still forms at the
nursery and factory if you would like to talk to the auditors and let them
look at file. If you like staff will help you complete the forms.
Please give Lynne the completed forms.
The audit is a very important way that the auditors can check to make sure
HiCity is following the Standards (Rules from the government). The auditors
make suggestions to improve the way we work.
HiCity Newsletter -
Issue No. 7/2015
Page 1 of 5
Information from National Disability Services April 2015
Supported employees can opt out of BSWAT Federal
Court action
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers has sent an "Opt out Notice" to "group
members" of the Federal Court representative proceeding which has
been commenced on behalf of supported employee Tyson DuvalComrie. The correspondence includes a pro-forma attachment that
group members may complete and submit to the Federal Court that
allows them to "opt-out" of the proceeding. In order to determine
whether an individual is a group member in the representative
proceeding, they need to have:



an intellectual disability
been working in an ADE on 22 October 2013
had their wage calculated using the BSWAT during their
employment.
Supported employees who choose to opt-out of the representative
proceeding will retain their right to seek a payment via the BSWAT
Payments Scheme. However, the Payments Scheme has yet to be
approved by the Senate and has encountered significant opposition,
including from Maurice Blackburn Lawyers. Currently, the opt-out
notice cites a deadline of 11 June 2015, the week before the Senate
is likely to debate the BSWAT Payments Scheme Bill.
As there is no further background on the representative proceeding
provided by Maurice Blackburn in the package of correspondence,
group members can obtain further background on the DSS disAbility
e-news website.
Due to a significant backlog of legislation, the Government has
deferred debate on the Bill until the Senate resumes sitting in July,
following the parliamentary budget sittings. The Carers Alliance,
which represents parents and carers of supported employees, has
joined with NDS in calling on the Senate to respect supported
employees' and their families' right to choose and pass the BSWAT
Payments Scheme Bill.
HiCity Newsletter -
Issue No. 7/2015
Page 2 of 5
Without the Payments Scheme, supported employees and their
families have no alternative means to seek 'compensation' than
through protracted and uncertain legal action.
The Carers Alliance, which (along with NDS) is participating in the
Fair Work Commission meetings to develop a new wage assessment
tool, is also concerned that supported employees' choice to work in
an Australian Disability Enterprise is under threat. Supported
employees, the Carers Alliance states, should have the right "to
choose to continue working in their current jobs, earning a fair wage
consistent with their capacity. If the actions of the ideologues force
closures, then our workers cannot choose what no longer exists,
because more time is needed to develop an alternative wage tool.
"Many people currently working in Disability Enterprises contend
these choices have been denied them because of actions unilaterally
taken by funded rights activists, the lawyers and the unions, without
any reference to the major stakeholders: the workers with an
intellectual disability themselves, their parents, families and carers."
The Fair Work Commission's observed experience trial, which is
testing a modified form of the Supported Wage System (SWS) tool
with a sample of supported employees, has commenced. Data from
the trial will be analysed and discussed at the next meeting in the
FWC on 27 April.
© This publication is copyright (Word 79KB)
Contact information:
The Department of Social Services has also established an information
line for people with disability who may have questions about the Court case
or want further information about their wages and conditions. The contact
details for the information line are as follows:
Telephone Number: 1800 880 052
TIS: 131450
TTY: 1800 301 130
NRS: 1800 555 677
HiCity Newsletter -
Issue No. 7/2015
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HiCity Newsletter -
Issue No. 7/2015
Page 4 of 5
Thank you to Kay from Olympic Adult education who took the
aprons from the literacy cooking class to the sewing group at her
church and one very kind lady there who fixed them up for the
workers.
Skillsmaster is the new wage assessment tool used by HiCity.
Information went out to all workers, family and carers last week.
If you have any questions please contact Amii at HiCity 9497 3555
or email Amii.Demanuele@hicity.com.au
National Standards for Disability Services – NSDS
There are posters on the wall.
The standards are:
1) RIGHTS: You have the right to be treated fairly at work
2) PARTICIPATION and INCLUSION: You can take part in the
community and feel included at work
3) INDIVIDUAL OUTCOMES: Work helps you to make choices
about what you want to do. You can work toward your goals.
4) FEEDBACK and COMPLAINTS: You can tell people what you
think about the service that you receive.
5) SERVICE ACCESS: Finding and using services (like HiCity) is
fair. You can access the services you need.
6) SERVICE MANAGEMENT: Disability services (like HiCity) should
be managed well.
Dates to remember:
April 25th ANZAC day - Saturday – NO Public Holiday
Monday June 8th Queens birthday – Public holiday
Tuesday November 3rd Melbourne Cup – public holiday
Time
Meetings
th
May 15
1.00
Workers Committee
th
May 15
2pm
General Workers Meeting
th
May 15
2pm
Staff meeting
st
1 Tuesday of 9am
Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Meeting
the month
April 27th
7.30pm Board of Management Meeting.
th
April 27
1.30pm Quality Assurance (QA) Meeting
Weekly
Quality Assurance Sub Committee
HiCity Newsletter -
Issue No. 7/2015
Page 5 of 5