CPSU NSW Assistant General Secretary Troy Wright and Industrial Manager Thane Pearce met with Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Bill Shorten (pictured) to address issues faced by NSW Disability Support Workers.

Mr Wright and Mr Pearce met Mr Shorten in the former Opposition Leader’s Canberra office. The group discussed with the Minister the new Federal Government’s plans for reforming the NDIS, which had suffered poor oversight during the years of Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison rule.

“We talked about issues such as the sector-wide labour shortage and the pressure employers have to attract and retain skilled staff,” said Mr Wright.

The CPSU NSW representatives also brought up the impact the expiry of the copied-state awards (CSAs) will have on members working in NSW and the urgent need for federal government intervention to stop these workers’ pay and conditions going backwards.

“Minister Shorten understood and appreciated our concerns and committed to review our proposal to extend the life of CSAs by way of regulation alongside Tony Burke, who is the Minister for Workplace Relations,” said Mr Wright.