DCR continue to stall negotiations

As your ally in the workplace, we wanted to update you on the actions our union is taking to progress the stalled EBA negotiations at Direct Care Resources (DCR).  

We have spent the past three months making attempts to meet with DCR Management but we have been offered numerous excuses - change of government, illness, holidays - to delay meeting with us. Most recently, a meeting was scheduled in September to occur in November and then delayed until 7 December. On 5 December, DCR cancelled the meeting and have proposed to meet with our union and bargaining representatives in February 2023. We believe this timeline and delay is completely unacceptable.

We have written to your management outlining that:

  • We believe that Support Workers at DCR are being misclassified as Home Care Workers under schedule E of the SCHADS Award 2010 rather than as Disability Support Workers under schedule B of the SCHADS Award
  • We believe that DCR is actively engaging in wage theft
  • We believe that DCR is misusing NDIS funding

To resolve this matter, our expectation is that DCR must:

  • Recommence EBA negotiations as a matter of urgency commencing in January 2023 and continuing until this matter is resolved
  • Agree to classify Support Workers correctly under the relevant Award and compensate workers accordingly
  • Modify rostering practises in line with industry standard for Schedule B Disability Support Workers

If DCR are not willing to resolve this matter collaboratively and in a timely manner our union will take the following action:

  • Make an application to the Fair Work Commission to resolve the matter
  • Notify the NDIS Fraud Taskforce of the matter
  • Notify Hon. Bill Shorten MP (Minister for NDIS) of the matter
 
To read the full correspondence that has been sent to your employer click here

We understand that you, as Union members, may be disappointed with your employer’s handling of this situation. It is completely unacceptable that you continue to experience nothing but excuses and uncertainty from your employer. We wholeheartedly share this disappointment with our members.

We would like to thank those members and delegates who have continued to work with our union on this matter.

If you are reading this and you are not yet a union member, now is the time to join your colleagues in solidarity as we progress these issues for members: https://www.theservicesunion.com.au/tsu/join

Any questions regarding this request, please contact Imogen Smith on 0419 679 479 or via email [email protected]


Above: ASU is the Union fighting for members at DCR.