NEWS DESK
Council pay dispute
Hat’s amazing: Cornish College students celebrate the expansion of classes at their school in Bangholme.
College moves up to different class CORNISH College in Bangholme will have an additional Year 8 class in 2013. This second Year 8 class follows earlier announcements to double stream Year 5 and Prep classes in 2013, in addition to a triple stream for Year 7. In early 2011, St Leonard’s College announced the closure of its Bangholme Campus. Following the creation of a joint Uniting Church and parent committee, the church acquired the site
and Cornish College opened in 2012, with 225 students from Early Learning Centre to Year 9. In 2013 enrolments will grow to more than 340, and with the extra classes announced, up to 450 children will be enrolled at the school in 2014. “We are delighted with how our year has gone, and our soaring enrolment numbers,� Principal Mr Kerry Bolger said.
The school plans to ultimately offer triple stream secondary classes through to Year 12 in 2015, and double stream primary classes (Prep to Year 6) as demand increases. A small number of places are still available in some year levels in 2013 and 2014. Call 03 9773 1011 or email info@ cornishcollege.vic.edu.au for further information.
By Jo Winterbottom KINGSTON Council employees will vote on a new enterprise agreement amid claims they have unequal conditions of employment and are limited in their ability to challenge disciplinary actions. The Australian Services Union says the council is unlawfully restricting the right of its employees to appeal to an independent body on disciplinary matters. The union, which represents about 150 Kingston workers, also claims council is short changing Home and Community Care workers on travel time, mobile phone allowances and on-call payments. Kingston CEO John Nevins says that is not the case: “Council fully complies with the Fair Work Act�. ASU organiser David Nunns said Kingston’s enterprise agreement prevented employees from challenging disciplinary action with an “independent umpire�. “It is a point of legal fact that employees at Kingston City Council are prevented from disputing, challenging or appealing disciplinary action taken against them through Fair Work Australia,� he said. In a statement issued by the council’s communications and public affairs department, Mr Nevins responded to questions from The News, saying: “With regard to questions about council’s employment conditions, council is currently in the process of negotiating a new enterprise agreement. “Kingston has put a fair and reasonable offer to its staff in line with legislative requirements, taking into account employee and community expectations. “The conditions have been developed in consultation with staff and at this time
are being progressed for employee voting in accordance with the Fair Work Act.� In a letter to Mr Nevins, the ASU claimed Kingston HACC employees, who provide in-home and community care for elderly and disabled residents, were not paid an on call allowance, despite being required to be on call from 7am on the days they work. The letter also claimed HACC workers were expected to travel between jobs in 15 minutes but were paid for 10 minutes travelling time. It also said HACC workers were required to be contactable by mobile phone, but were not paid a mobile phone allowance. Mr Nunns said HACC workers, many of whom were employed parttime, were “subjected to conditions of employment that are unacceptable to other parts of the operation of Kingston City Council�. The News asked Mr Nevins to comment on each of these issues and received the response quoted above. He said the council provided HACC services to 5500 Kingston residents, including home delivered meals, social support, home maintenance services and personal, respite and domestic care. Clients were assessed to identify their needs and there was no waiting list for high-needs clients requiring “essential human services such as personal care or delivered meals�. “There are currently 142 clients on the waiting list for domestic care, but on average approximately 53 clients exit the domestic service each month,� Mr Nevins said.
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Chelsea – Mordialloc News 12 December 2012