Union members protest privatisation of disability services

Members of the Public Sector Association (PSA) braved the rain on 14 February to protest the privatisation of disability services in NSW. Despite the NSW Industrial Relations Court banning the strike, the PSA pushed on defiantly, with hundreds of members and supporters rallying outside Parliament House. Hundreds more took part in smaller actions across the state.

In 2013, following the announcement of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), the O’Farrell state Liberal government passed legislation allowing for the forced transfer of Aging, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) employees to the private sector, pledging to contribute a large portion of ADHC’s $3 billion budget to the NDIS. The privatisation of public disability services is one of the largest sell-offs in the history of the state. Prior to the start of the transfer, ADHC employed around 14,000 people and cared for 300,000 of the state’s most vulnerable residents.

The union is fighting to protect the rights of workers affected. Currently, the transfer process does not require private providers to maintain employees’ existing terms and conditions. Workers who choose not to work for the private sector will not be offered redundancy packages.

Union members are also angry about what privatisation will mean for the many individuals with special needs currently supported in the public system. There are fears that private providers will be unable or unwilling to care for these people.

“The private sector is about making money, our clients don’t make money”, explained Candis Satler, who has been a disability support worker at ADHC for more than 20 years. “If you privatise disability services, then services will be cut”, she said.

Disability support workers have historically been reluctant to take industrial action. However, PSA members are keen to see the union take a stand around this issue. Many told Red Flag that this strike would not be the last.