5th Minister’s Update
Preparing for Offers
While the Australian Government begins the process of calculating supplementation funding at an organisational level it’s time for organisations to begin preparations in order to accept their conditional funding offers.
Organisations that receive Australian Government funding directly from the Commonwealth or through a Commonwealth-State agreement for one or more of the programs in scope will receive an offer from each of their funding agencies. They will have to certify that on 1 February 2012, they employed workers affected by the Fair Work Australia decision and provide assurance that the funding supplementation will be used to meet the cost of the decision.
Western Australia
In Western Australian there is an extra step organisations will need to take.
Organisations will need to confirm which workplace relations system they are under. Those who come under the national workplace relations system will be eligible to receive supplementation. As organisations under the Western Australian workplace relations system do not have an obligation to pay increased wages provided under the decision, they will not be eligible for supplementation.
The Western Australian information on the website has been updated to provide some guidance for organisations. If you are still unsure of your eligibility please seek legal advice.
Queensland
In Queensland organisations will have to confirm if they are required to pay workers in accordance with the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission decision, or the Fair Work Australia decision.
Organisations that have previously provided this information to their funding departments through the Queensland regulation process will not have to do anything more in this regard.
In order for the Australian Government to calculate supplementation, organisations that were not a part of the Queensland regulation process will receive a letter requesting they confirm which workplace relations decision impacts their organisation.
Communication
Although the Roundtable discussions have now been completed, I will continue to consult with the sector as the process goes forward. I will be making more important announcements in the near future and encourage you to share this message with your colleagues, and encourage them to subscribe.
Thank you for your ongoing interest in the social and community services equal pay case. I will update you again further as new information comes to hand.
Julie Collins