Public Service Association of SA Inc in Adelaide, South Australia | Community organisation

Public Service Association of SA Inc

Locality: Adelaide, South Australia

Phone: +61 8 8205 3200

Address: 122 Pirie Street 5000 Adelaide, SA, Australia

Website: http://www.psaofsa.asn.au

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25.01.2022 It's National Child Protection Week and the PSA thanks all our members who dedicate themselves to protecting and supporting our most vulnerable citizens. Check out this great message from Child Protection worker and PSA Worksite Representative Heather ...

25.01.2022 85% against the privatisation of trains. This comes as no surprise and reflects research conducted by the PSA and SA Unions. The COVID polls won’t last forever. Time to pull the pin on privatisation or risk a massive defeat at the ballot box Steven Marshall.

25.01.2022 The latest PSA Review has been delivered to members’ homes But if you’d prefer to read it on your device, here’s the first of our feature articles ...

25.01.2022 Take action here: https://utm.io/uLWD

24.01.2022 PSA members have access to a wide variety of services, including legal support from our partner firm Johnston Withers Lawyers. If you're a PSA member be sure to register for this Lunch 'N' Learn seminar outlining what to expect if for some reason you're involved in an investigation by ICAC. If you're public servant who's yet to join the PSA and want to experience all the benefits union membership brings, go to our website to join today:... https://psaofsa.asn.au/membership To register for the ICAC Lunch 'N' Learn seminar on October 20, follow this link: https://psaofsa.asn.au/johnston-withers-lawyers-online-work

24.01.2022 When will this government start putting people before profits and austerity?

24.01.2022 PSA General Secretary Nev Kitchin addressing our 2020 and first ever online Workplace Representatives forum. Welcome to all our fantastic reps tuned in online today!

23.01.2022 Did you know that PSA members can access special discounts on Wills and other personal legal services from the Leading South Australian law firm Johnston Withers Lawyers? If you've been thinking about making a Will, or need to organise a Power of Attorney or Advanced Care Directive, Johnston Withers Lawyers offers PSA members a 30% discount on any of these services and a 10% discount on Conveyancing. Read more about the important of making a will here:... https://johnstonwithers.com.au/what-is-a-will/

23.01.2022 The 2020-21 State Budget was delivered yesterday by the Treasurer, Rob Lucas. The budget has been driven by the government’s response to costs and programs associated with combating COVID-19 and addressing the aftermath of the bushfires at the start of this year. Like most budgets, there are some positives and negatives, and the details will emerge over the coming months as departments look to achieve the targets they have been set.... The PSA welcomes the announcement of funding for up to 750 traineeships and apprenticeships, and will continue to advocate for the ongoing employment of trainees in the public sector. The budget also recognises the need to appropriately fund the Child Protection and Health sectors, albeit with some additional FTE reductions. It is unfortunate the government chose not to reverse their previously announced cuts, and instead opted to include $198m in additional savings which departments will need to find over the next four years. The compounding effect of efficiency dividends year on year has a negative effect on the workloads our members must endure and the services they provide. Members must remain vigilant in identifying where departments seek to privatise or cut programs and services as a way of trying to relieve this increased pressure on their budgets. The PSA’s preferred position remains that the government should have used this budget as an opportunity for greater direct investment in public sector employment and direct investment in public sector delivery of the services our community needs for a lasting recovery. The PSA is undertaking further analysis of the budget and will provide agency specific updates as required.

22.01.2022 PSA Assistant General Secretary Natasha Brown addressed members at our 2020 Worksite Representatives Forum today. "Fighting privatisation is at the core of what we stand for as a public sector union. We need to keep campaigning to achieve our vision: a well-resourced public sector that provides comprehensive, affordable and accessible high quality services to all South Australians, and where our members are respected and valued."

22.01.2022 Imagine you run a large school library, or teach students braille, or manage the temporary relief teacher pool for a group of schools. Imagine next that you've been doing this for ten years or more, perhaps even twenty, but every time you ask about reclassification you're told, "If we reclassify you, someone else will have to lose hours." This is real life for hundreds of dedicated School Services Officers who are stuck at SSO1 despite their responsibilities exceeding the jo...b description. If this is you, the PSA wants to help. Our Moving Up campaign to address SSO1 reclassification is underway. If you haven't completed it already, you can start by filling out this quick survey. http://psaofsa.asn.au/SSO1reclass

21.01.2022 Today is RUOK? Day. Coinciding with World Suicide Prevention Day, RUOK Day is a time to remind Australians that every day is the day to ask, Are you OK? if someone in your world is struggling with life’s ups and downs. This year, with the extra uncertainty, isolation and anxiety created by COVID-19, it is more important than ever to check in with the mental health of our colleagues, friends and family.... We encourage all members and supporters to join in the day. Tips on how to have a conversation, or what you can do at your workplace to support colleagues, are available on the RUOK website at this link: https://www.ruok.org.au A very simple act you can be involved in is to just ask RUOK? Access to Mental Health First Aid Training, an initiative of PSA General Secretary Nev Kitchin, was an important win the PSA's last Enterprise Agreement. A large number of PSA members have now completed the training and have found it incredibly useful both at work and also in the community. The Marshall state government wants to remove this condition from our Enterprise Agreement as part of this bargaining round. The PSA has rejected this ill-conceived, mean-spirited, uncaring and penny pinching proposal, and will stand firm on keeping Mental Health First Aid Training in our enterprise agreement. Living with a pandemic has demonstrated that metal health is a major workplace and community issue. When people can see the early warning signs and know how to help, we can act together to prevent serious illness and suicide. The PSA wishes all our members and supporters good mental health.

21.01.2022 Today we're recognising our dedicated PSA members across the public service, particularly those working in Health, Pathology and Prisons, who are on the front lines responding to and protecting us from the latest COVID-19 outbreak.

21.01.2022 If you're a public servant there are many good reasons to join the PSA. As well as joining a movement that is all about standing up for the rights of you and your colleagues at work, you'd be availing yourself of some great member benefits, like the ones Nev outlines here.

21.01.2022 If you're soon to retire, now is a good time to familiarise yourself with Super SA's Post Retirement products. Join us via video link at midday tomorrow to find out more: https://psaofsa.asn.au/members/super-sa-lunch-n-learns

20.01.2022 Mary Jo is one of hundreds of dedicated School Services Officers (SSOs) who have made a career working in public schools. A PSA Worksite Representative, she is an experienced, energetic and highly respected member of staff at her northern suburbs R-12 school where she works as a Community Development Officer. This week we are celebrating the work of those like Mary Jo who are the unsung heroes of public education.... SSOs work in roles that range from administration and finance through to providing classroom support for students with special needs or English as a Second Language. Happy SSO Week to all SSOs working in South Australian public schools!

20.01.2022 More photos from today's Workplace Representatives Forum. Thanks to all our Worksite Reps who joined us today and to our guest speakers David Peetz and Victoria Fielding. More to come!

20.01.2022 ***CALLING ALL SSO1s*** To celebrate SSO Week, the PSA has launched our 'Moving Up' campaign to address SSO1 reclassification. You may be one of hundreds of SSOs being underpaid at SSO1 simply because the employer hasn't met their obligation to carry out a review of your classification.... If you're an SSO1 working in a public school, please follow this link to register for our reclassification survey. It's open to anyone who is an SSO1 in a South Australian public school. https://psaofsa.asn.au/sso1reclass Do you have an SSO1 colleague? Tag them in this post so they can participate too!

20.01.2022 The Public Transport Privatisation Gravy Train rolls on ... Today it was revealed that Department of Transport and Infrastructure CE Tony Braxton-Smith has hand-picked three former Sydney-based colleagues for million-dollar contracts because the "local talent pool was not up to the task". Braxton-Smith even admitted he was unaware of the controversy surrounding the resignation of former NZ Transport Agency CE Fergus Gammie who Braxton-Smith handed a $1.4 million contract.... According to the Advertiser, Gammie resigned following a number of scandals, including the recall of around 20,000 vehicles after inspectors were suspended for sub-standard work. In one case, the sub-standard work caused the death of a 65 year-old man. Braxton-Smith led the rush to public transport privatisation in NSW and he has been since been employed by the Marshall government in South Australia to do its dirty work. The public needs to be aware of the deals being done to enrich wealthy private sector bureaucrats and the shareholders of multinational corporations. South Australian public services are not for sale!

19.01.2022 Earlier this year, Department of Infrastructure and Transport CE Tony Braxton-Smith encouraged staff in an agency-wide email to embrace the Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement known as "Kaizen". But since Mr Braxton-Smith's arrival we've seen nothing but continuous deterioration of public services, unnecessary privatisations and dodgy dealings: Trams - sold off to to a multinational consortium... Trains - handed to a multinational consortium Keolis Downer ($2.14 billion) Road and Traffic Signal Maintenance - handed to Downer ($1.6 billion), Lend Lease/Boral ($347 million) and Fulton Hogan ($446 million) Serious probity concerns raised by one of the tender applicants (Bombardier) about fair process The direct appointment by Mr Braxton-Smith of three former Sydney-based associates on million dollar plus contracts Million dollar payments to contractors whose bids failed to keep them in the tender process. Meanwhile Mr Braxton-Smith seems more concerned with improving the Department's media spin than providing high quality, affordable and efficient public transport services: https://indaily.com.au//tackling-the-bow-wave-bureaucracys

18.01.2022 This week the PSA is recognising National Child Protection Week (NCPW), a time to appreciate the amazing work our members do in what is a very challenging environment. Each year we call for nominations for Child Protection Worksite Representative (WSR) of the Year, to recognise the achievements of a WSR who has excelled in supporting the members in their workplace. This year's recipient is Residential Care worker Jodie Hills. Jodie was nominated by a colleague who highlighted... how she always puts her colleagues first, is easy to talk to, and offers good advice whenever it's needed. PSA Acting General Secretary Natasha Brown presented Jodie with her award today, noting that: "Jodie is a passionate and committed Worksite Rep who actively encourages her colleagues to join the PSA, and is a strong representative for members at both the Out of Home Care Consultative Forum and at our PSA Department of Child Protection (DCP) WSR meetings. Jodie has been a fabulous ambassador for the PSA and a strong advocate not only for members in the house she works in but across DCP." Congratulations Jodie!

18.01.2022 Today was another first for the PSA -- we held our first ever online Women's Conference! With fantastic contributions from keynote speaker Van Badham and a range of presenters, the conference was a great success. We have more photos to come but here's a few screenshots from today's event ...

18.01.2022 ***PSA MEDIA RELEASE*** PRIVATISING OUR TRAINS IS A GIFT TO BIG BUSINESS AT THE PUBLIC’S EXPENSE Having already privatised public tram services, the state government this morning told train drivers and staff that a $2 billion, eight year contract has been signed with multinational Keolis Downer to run South Australia's passenger train service from January 31, 2021....Continue reading

18.01.2022 On National TAFE Day, the PSA calls on the state and federal governments to significantly reinvest in TAFE. With 1,000,000 people out of work across the country, now is the time to ensure we’re training the workers we need for future jobs.

15.01.2022 Welcome back from lockdown! In the current issue of the Public Sector Review, Assistant General Secretary, Natasha Brown, pays homage to the strength, resilience and tenacity of PSA members throughout what has been a very difficult and challenging year. Read her column and find links to more online stories from the Public Sector Review here ...

15.01.2022 Steven Marshall and his Transport Minister Corey Wingard handed our public trains and $2.14 billion dollars to multinational consortium Keolis Downer last month. Keolis is 70 per cent owned by the French government. Downer is majority owned by super rich banks and investment funds.... Here are Downer's top five shareholders: HSBC Custody Nominees (Australia) Limited (30.14%) Chase Manhattan Nominees Limited (29.19%) Citicorp Nominees Pty Limited (13.47) National Nominees Limited (8.81%) BNP Paribas Nominees Pty Ltd (2.59) We don't pay taxes so governments can hand our public assets to big business. Join the campaign to Save SA Services here: https://psaofsa.asn.au/campaigns/save-sa-services

14.01.2022 This state government must stop privatising our public services. They belong to every one of us, not wealthy multinationals who seek only to extract as much profit as possible from the services we've all invested in for decades. This short article from the latest Public Sector Review amplifies our call for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the privatisation of our public services ...

13.01.2022 With COVID-19 again causing great concern in our community, the PSA is thankful for our extremely professional and committed public servants who are managing the current situation. When a crisis like this one confronts our community, it's essential workers, including thousands of public servants, who come to the fore. Please express your thanks for the work they do in the comments below.... Hopefully this lockdown is brief but effective and we can all get back to some kind of normality soon. In the meantime, take care of yourself and your loved ones :)

13.01.2022 ***MEDIA RELEASE*** PSA DEMANDS A PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY INTO PRIVATISATION The PSA is calling on South Australian Members of Parliament to support a parliamentary inquiry into the Marshall government’s undemocratic and secretive privatisation agenda....Continue reading

12.01.2022 PSA members in Port Lincoln and Port Augusta with their enterprise bargaining pledge cards last week. Members around the state are pledging to campaign with their colleagues for job security and fair wages and conditions.

12.01.2022 A message for the Premier ...

11.01.2022 It's SSO Week, and the PSA is celebrating the huge contribution School Services Officers make to South Australian public schools. Today PSA General Secretary Nev Kitchin and Assistant General Secretary Natasha Brown visited members at Paralowie R-12 school for a celebratory morning tea. Nev talked to the staff present about the work the PSA does to support SSOs and why it's important to be a member, especially in challenging times like these.... Natasha took a moment to recognise and thank the SSOs for the work they do keeping our schools running and providing critical classroom support to children with special needs and those who need some extra help. If you're not a PSA member and want to enjoy the many benefits of union membership, find out more here: https://psaofsa.asn.au/membership

11.01.2022 Have you asked a colleague to join the PSA lately? To strengthen our capacity to campaign for improved conditions and a well-resourced, vibrant public service, it's important our union continues to grow. And to support local tourism in these COVID-19 affected times, we're offering PSA members a chance to win a $300 gift voucher at Big4 Holiday Parks.... All you need to do is join up a public sector colleague between now and the end of the year. For more information, terms and conditions, go to the members section of the PSA website: http://psaofsa.asn.au/members Photo: PSA General Secretary Nev Kitchin and PSA Assistant General Secretary Natasha Brown, launching the Big4 comp earlier today.

10.01.2022 SA General Secretary Nev Kitchin and Assistant General Secretary Natasha Brown met with staff at Service SA Modbury yesterday. The visit was primarily to celebrate the successful PSA and community campaign to stop the service's closure. PSA members took a range of actions including rallying, leafleting and getting petitions and postcards signed in order to build community support against the government's ill-thought plans to privatise the service and close some offices.... Nev and Natasha both thanked members for their strong campaigning and their commitment to providing high quality public services to the community. Well done to everyone who played a part in making sure this important public service can continue to meet the community's needs.

10.01.2022 ***PSA MEDIA RELEASE*** INCOMING STATE GOVERNMENT MINISTERS MUST ACT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND ABANDON PRIVATISATION AGENDA The Public Service Association of SA (PSA) is calling on the Marshall government's newly sworn-in Ministers to demonstrate transparency and accountability in their respective portfolios and to abandon any plans for further budget cuts and privatisations.... As Minister for Transport, Stephan Knoll gutted our public transport and infrastructure services. With Steven Marshall's blessing, he privatised our trams and trains, our road and traffic signal maintenance, our building and facilities management services and he tried to slash and sell off Service SA. As the incoming Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Corey Wingard must support and improve public services, not destroy them, said PSA General Secretary Nev Kitchin. "We need to see a fresh approach from the incoming Ministers, one that demonstrates a preparedness to keep public services in government control and take steps to improve them. That's their job -- it's what they were elected to do." Slashing services and privatising publicly owned assets while accessing public funds for personal gain just won't be tolerated by the community. "There is no place in government or the public sector for any unethical or questionable behaviour." "South Australians expect their elected leaders to act in the public interest and with the utmost integrity." "Integrity in public service means upholding the principles of the public sector -- putting public services first and committing to improve them." "The Marshall government has done as good a job as any in managing the COVID-19 virus but it's simply not acceptable to use the pandemic as a cover for their ideological commitment to budget cuts and privatisations." "The current level of COVID-19 infections in Victoria was caused by the state government trying to save a few dollars by using private security firms. That use of cheap private security services has ended up costing billions. This should be a lesson for the Marshall government -- privatising public services is not in the public interest and will cost more in the long run." Send a message to incoming Transport and Infrastructure Minister Corey Wingard, telling him to abandon plans to privatise our public trains. http://bit.ly/ContactYourLocalMP

10.01.2022 The PSA is completely opposed to the privatisation of building and facilities management and road maintenance in the Department of Transport and Infrastructure. Go to Steven Marshall's Facebook page and send him a direct message - remind him he said his government didn't have a privatisation agenda and ask him to stop selling off our public services. https://www.facebook.com/StevenMarshallMP/

09.01.2022 Last week it was Ministers resigning after being caught out claiming questionable travel and accommodation expenses. This week Steven Marshall is happy for 700 Liberal Party members to attend a dinner when everyone else has to keep social gatherings to a minimum. Is this government above the law?

09.01.2022 Photos from today's PSA SSO Conference. Thanks to all our dedicated members who braved the weather and came along in the school holidays. It was a great day!

09.01.2022 Would you stay in the same job for 20 years without a reclassification? Hundreds of skilled and experienced School Services Officers are still stuck at Level 1, despite a PSA-initiated agreement with government to review their classification. If this is you, join our Moving Up campaign today:... http://psaofsa.asn.au/sso1reclass We want to hear from PSA members and SSOs yet to join.

08.01.2022 ***PSA MEDIA RELEASE*** The state government is planning to privatise the provision of acute mental health care services, including through a new facility that could have been run by highly skilled public mental health care professionals. A public sector bid led by Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) to manage a planned Urgent Mental Health Care Centre has reportedly been overlooked by the state government in favour of a privatised service which would be run by non-...government operator NEAMI and the Arizona-based RI International. The PSA understands that NEAMI has no experience in providing acute mental health care services. RI International don’t operate in Australia and are unlikely to have any knowledge of how mental health services are delivered in South Australia. The PSA has also been made aware of concerns regarding shorter opening hours in the private bid from public mental health doctors. They believe the shorter hours proposed for the centre under private operation will lead to the transfer of patients to the RAH and already stretched community mental health services. RI International is a for-profit operation whose HR practices have come under fire from former employees who have consistently raised concerns about low pay, high workloads and other poor management practices. PSA Acting General Secretary Natasha Brown provided these comments to the media: It beggars belief that the Marshall government is so committed to privatisation that they would put the provision of acute mental health care services out to private tender when the expertise already exist in the public sector. There is simply no justification for awarding the contract for acute mental health care services to a for-profit US multinational with no experience providing acute mental health care services in Australia. The government needs to be accountable for the care of South Australians experiencing acute mental health conditions. Handing the care of these patients to a US-based provider is not only irresponsible, it’s downright dangerous. We’re in the middle of a pandemic, a time when experts are forecasting a significant increase in community mental health issues, yet the government is prepared to put the quality of acute mental health care provision at significant risk. PSA members working in Mental Health are telling us patients will fall through the cracks as a result of both public and private services running parallel but effectively independently of each other.

07.01.2022 It’s not just pandemics that see our public servants putting themselves in harm’s way to protect the community read about our PSA SES members who have just been awarded for their service during the NSW bushfires emergency ...

06.01.2022 The PSA took the opportunity at today's budget lock-up to highlight the need for a public sector-led economic recovery. On first read, there are no big stings in the budget for the public sector but it's clear that the majority of economic stimulus has been directed to the private sector. The PSA will continue to analyse the detail in the budget papers and provide more information to members as it comes to hand.

06.01.2022 The PSA is currently in negotiations with the state government for a new enterprise agreement. If you've recently joined the union or need a refresher on what enterprise agreements are all about, then this article from our current PSA Review is for you ...

05.01.2022 Transport Minister Corey Wingard told us there would be savings in the hundreds of millions per year once our trains were privatised. But after publicly admitting earlier this week that he had no idea how much our trains currently cost to run, he subsequently conceded they'll perhaps save around $10 million per year as a result of privatising. Meanwhile, mega rich multinational consortium Keolis Downer is laughing all the way to the bank as they deposit the $2.14 billion of ...our taxes handed to them by Corey Wingard and the state government. But hey Corey, who's counting?

04.01.2022 Meet Peter. He's one of the many PSA members who dedicate themselves to protection of children in South Australia. During this National Child Protection Week, the PSA is acknowledging the important work our child protection members do to care for our kids. We spoke to Peter in the lead up to NCPW and asked him about his work.... "At a time in my life when changing career paths, I was encouraged by a friend to explore working in community services. After careful consideration, I embarked on a path in child protection. Fortunately, I had no material needs and chose this path for the sheer satisfaction of contributing towards making a difference to the lives of young people in need. 15 years later and still every day I see it as an investment in our future. Thanks Peter, for everything you and your colleagues do for our kids.

04.01.2022 The PSA says: no job cuts and no privatisation for SA prisons.

03.01.2022 ***INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION NOW INVESTIGATING*** In what can only be described as a complete train-wreck (‘scuse the pun), privatisation-happy Transport Minister Stephan Knoll dodged serious questions this morning from the ABC’s David Bevan and Ali Clarke about his use of public monies. PSA General Secretary Nev Kitchin told the media that since being made Minister, Stephan Knoll has taken every opportunity to sell off public services in the Department of Pl...anning, Transport and Infrastructure. Stephan Knoll is privatising our trams and trains, our road and traffic signal maintenance work, and our government building and facilities management. He's out there telling the public he’s saving us money by privatising services while at the same time he’s profiting from the public purse.

03.01.2022 Steven Marshall said publicly that a government of his wouldn't have a privatisation agenda. He also said the public service would grow under a government led by him. Since making these promises, his government has slashed public sector budgets and privatised key public services.... Share this ad with your family and friends. Let's make sure all South Australians know Steven Marshall and his government is about cutting and selling off public services, not improving them.

03.01.2022 The PSA and a number of public sector unions have launched the Save SA Services campaign at a media conference this morning. To get our message out to the community we've put together this advertisement which is screening across most commercial TV networks.

03.01.2022 Are you one of hundreds of SSO1s yet to be reviewed for reclassification? The PSA's Moving Up campaign is underway and we're supporting SSO1s who are eligible to be reclassified to SSO2. Find out more here:... http://psaofsa.asn.au/sso1reclass

02.01.2022 ***ICAC now investigating*** The Public Service Association is calling on Transport Minister Stephan Knoll to resign after he admitted claiming $30k in public money for travel and accommodation costs despite staying at his parents' house on Parliament sitting days in Adelaide. PSA General Secretary Nev Kitchin outlined the union's concerns when he spoke with ABC North and West presenter Narelle Graham last night.

02.01.2022 PSA Assistant General Secretary Natasha Brown addressing the 2020 PSA Women’s Conference: COVID-19, the impact on women. Here’s an excerpt from her opening speech ... You all have a particularly important role to play in this; both as women and also as public servants. The PSA is pushing for a COVID-19 recovery led by the public sector, because we recognise that the public sector is our most powerful tool for reducing inequality in our society, including gender inequality. Investing in our public sector is the best way to ensure we get through the current pandemic safely, and build resilience to future disruptions.

02.01.2022 PSA General Secretary Nev Kitchin addressed the issue of assaults on public sector workers this morning after a man who physically assaulted Environment Protection Authority (EPA) officers escaped a jail sentence in court yesterday. Many would be surprised with the number of assaults experienced by our public servants, particularly those who deliver frontline services to the community. And it's not just emergency service workers who are at risk while carrying out their duties.... Social Workers, Corrections Officers, Traffic Camera Operators, School Services Officers, Housing Officers, Phlebotomists, Nurses, Teachers, Courts Staff, Parking Attendants and more regularly report they are victims of both physical and verbal abuse from members of the public. In this case, the offender has received a suspended jail sentence. It would appear he is very fortunate not to be in jail right now there are many who would think that’s where he should be. The PSA supports the expansion of the recently introduced Emergency Services Assault legislation to include all public servants. The law gives courts the power to jail people who attack emergency service workers for up to 15 years.

01.01.2022 A message to our valued members from the PSA leadership ...