NSW government to privatise 6000 disability staff
One of the largest ever privatisation programs in NSW will be completed soon, with the state government set to announce the start of the process to move the last of its 6000 disability services workers to the private sector.
The state has already shifted 4000 workers in the Home Care Service NSW across to the private and not-for-profit sector but state disability services minister John Ajaka said the government could not deliver the $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme while 40 per cent of services were still delivered by an inflexible government system.
“The NDIS is about providing people with disability real choice and control over their own lives. To do that, we need to create a more vibrant and diverse disability services market where people with disability can choose the services they want and who they want them from,” he said.
While the state department will retain some policy functions and the government will continue its role in providing oversight to the sector the last tranche of 6000 workers, who support more than 10,000 clients and run operations worth more than $550 million a year, will be moved once an Expression of Interest process is concluded.
The EoI will open in the middle of May and will anger the unions, especially the Public Sector Association which has long campaigned against the transfer of services.
But workers, while they will move to a different award, are guaranteed their jobs and, for the most part, their pay as the sector must stack on 30,000 jobs to cope with the NDIS.
Award conditions and employment are guaranteed in the transfer process for two years for ongoing employees. Superannuation, including defined benefits, and any accrued sick leave, long service and annual leave will also follow the worker to the private sector.
The last tranche of workers run group homes, in-home support services and behaviour intervention services for the government among other functions.
The government expects to complete the transfer in 2018.