Swimming Instructors

Today is July 1^st resulting in Head Office breaking its promise to have the backpay issues resolved by 30^th of June. It's fair to say that staff are less than impressed and are asking what can be done and what is the next step?

In mid-2016 employees from a number of PSS centres contacted the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) to seek support in negotiating a fairer deal for staff and fixing some serious pay issues.

After months of negotiating and hard work on the part of many committed employees who vowed to stick together to get a fair deal for all swim teachers, the SIA is pleased to announce an in-principle agreement has been reached regarding both further back pay and also a future enterprise agreement.

This deal will see the average swim teacher earn over 20% more for their work and includes the reintroduction of penalty rates, increases to wages and importantly an improvement to youth wages which will see many young teachers now paid as adults, irrespective of their age. This along with a significant amount in further back pay to be distributed to employees was part of a deal reached between SIA bargaining representatives and PSS Management last Thursday.

On the 13th of January the SIA met with PSS management to present and discuss the log of claims (list of main concerns that employees want to see fixed in the new agreement).

This claim incorporated the views of hundreds of PSS employees including detailed contributions from more than 120 surveys.

Whilst there were a number of issues that were put forward, the main issues were as follows:

Yesterday representatives from a number of PSS sites met to discuss ways to improve working conditions for PSS staff in the lead up to the next bargaining meeting with management.

With over 100 staff surveys completed we were able to address most of the concerns that staff have and want to see improved in any new agreement.

Listed below are a few of the main issues that staff have raised. For more information click here for the detailed claim and proposed classification and wage rates.

Following the article in Fairfax newspapers outlining the history of underpayments, and the subsequent media statement from PSS, there have been many questions asked about who knew what and when and we thought it best to set a few things straight.

Firstly for those that have not seen the article click here and for those that have not read the company's response click here

GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN 2 GOLD CLASS MOVIE TICKETS

The SIA has launched a survey for Paul Sadler employees to give their feedback on how to make PSSL a better place to work.

Click here to complete the survey - it only takes 3 minutes and all responses will be kept confidential!

Winners drawn 10 January 2017

On Wednesday bargaining representatives from 3 PSS sites (Essendon, Bacchus Marsh and Parkwood Green) met with Management to commence negotiations for a new Enterprise Agreement.

The meeting mainly focussed on process and the need for the bargaining representatives to access relevant information so that they can develop a responsible and sustainable claim.

Specifically bargaining representatives have requested information about the range of actual pay rates (rates paid to staff, not just those in the agreements) as well as information about when hours are worked (Weekdays vs Weekends) and any relevant financial information that would give some insight to bargaining representatives regarding the financial position of the business.

swiminstructors.com.au – A Union for Swim Instructors – powered by the AWU

As you may be aware over the last 18 months many staff have become concerned about their working conditions, in particular the underpayment of wages and the company's plans for a new workplace agreement.

These underpayments, and the determination of a few swim instructors has resulted in large amounts being backpaid to staff – with some employees receiving more than $10,000.

This, combined with attempts by the company to try to implement a new enterprise agreement, which would continue to deny staff basic entitlements such as weekend penalty rates, has led over 100 employees to form a new association, the Swim Instructors Association (SIA), which is supported by the Australian Workers' Union, to ensure that staff are treated fairly into the future and that employees get a good deal on the new workplace agreement (known as an EBA). 

Despite a few false starts it now looks like Paul Sadler Swimland is going to commence negotiations for a new Agreement.

At the 'first' bargaining meeting last month the union and employee representatives raised concerns regarding the type of agreement that was being considered. It had been made clear to staff at some locations that if the majority of employees at a particular site did not approve the agreement they would be removed, this commitment was recorded in various minutes and communications from management at the time.

We have been subsequently informed that this is no longer the case and that PSSL will now be entering into a 'single interest single employer enterprise agreement' (which is very uncommon) which will mean that even if a majority at one site vote against the agreement but a majority of all PSSL employees across Australia vote yes then employees at the site will be forced on to the agreement.

The first proper agreement negotiation session will be held on Wednesday 14 December 2016. At this stage there are representatives from Essendon, Bacchus Marsh, Parkwood Green and the Ausratalian Workers' Union (Swim Instructors' Association) will be in attendance at this meeting.

We will provide an update following this meeting.