The Public Service Association(PSA) received written commitments from Domiciliary Care SA(DCSA) in relation to the current Para Medical Aide's(PMA) campaign to gain extra hours for Public Sector workers by reducing the outsourcing of services to agency staff.

The commitments are as follows:

• The creation of a number of relief rosters to cover planned leave, training, etc which are likely to be offered at 60 hours a fortnight.

• Additional hours to train PMA’s in the review of ‘basic’ clients as detailed in the PMA’s job and person specification and the subsequent offer of extra hours to do same, initially until 30 June 2008. This work has never been outsourced and will not be in the future.

• The investigation of the creation of ‘limited’ out of hours' rounds and/or split shifts.

• The rewriting of the “Allocation of Personal Support Services” procedure to reinforce DCSA’s commitment to always consider the use of DCSA PMA staff in the first instance.

• The continued auditing of all teams (8) in an effort to identify brokered hours that can be offered to DCSA staff.

PSA President Lindsay Oxlad, General Secretary Jan McMahon and PSA Industrial Officers reported on these commitments to PSA members at an out of hours meeting on the 19th February 2008 and members unanimously passed the following motion:

"PSA members note DCSA correspondence dated 15th February 2008 comprising

• The commitment to use public sector workers in the first instance

• The creation of relief rosters(0.8FTE) to cover planned leave

• Additional hours for training and performing reviews of basic clients

• Investigation of out of hours rounds and/or split shifts

• Ongoing commitment to utilising in house staff and offering extra hours to part time PMA's wherever possible

PSA members endorse the lifting of all industrial action subject to clarification of issues such as:

• outsourcing of services is to only to occur once all options to engage Public Sector workers have been exhausted

• that the same opportunities be made available for PSA members employed as Carers."

The PSA Campaign committee will meet with DCSA management in the near future to discuss implementing the above mentioned commitments. Part of this will involve creating Human Resource Principles which will govern the allocation of extra hours and filling of the proposed relief roster.

The success of this campaign has achieved other very positive outcomes. Chief amongst these was the solidarity and determination shown by members to achieve a positive outcome. Members who took part in this campaign deserve congratulations. These members have set an excellent example for all PSA members.

If you have any questions,concerns or would like an update at your worksite please contact PSA Worksite Representatives or PSA Industrial Officer Jean-Guy Townsend on 8205 3233 or jgt@cpsu.asn.au

21 February 2008