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To: Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria

10 years overdue - Portable Long Service Leave for SACS workers

ASU Victorian and Tasmanian Authorities & Services Branch
We’re calling on the Andrews Government to legislate for a portable long service leave scheme for community service workers this year.

Workers in the social and community services (SACS) sector can work a lifetime and never actually receive long service leave. Due to the character of the community sector – from the way it’s funded to the stresses of work – workers in the sector frequently change jobs. We often stay in the sector, just with a different employer. When we do this we often lose. This is especially the case for our long service leave entitlements.

Social and community services workers need a portable long service leave system. We need to be able to take our accumulated years of service to other employers within the sector as we change jobs, no different to workers in other industries, or even community sector workers in the ACT. Only through a legislated portable long service leave scheme will we ever be able to access our long service leave, which until now has been too far out of reach.

We’ve been asking for ten years.
We’ve been asking for so long that our request is now due for long service.
We’re sick of waiting.

Why is this important?

SACS workers deliver services aimed at helping family violence survivors, providing help to people with alcohol and drug issues, as well as working to help youth in residential care and individuals overcoming mental health problems, among many other services.

It is a sector that is underfunded, where the demand for services is endless and in which we are responsible for the well-being of the most vulnerable Victorians. Despite the importance of our work, the pay is low, there are few promotional opportunities and we deal daily with the stresses contact with clients in personal crisis inevitably brings.

The State Government has commissioned a feasibility study to look into a portable long service leave scheme for social and community service workers. This government has the opportunity to make our lives a little bit easier. Please add your name in support of our campaign that will care for the carers.

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Updates

2018-04-09 10:22:03 +1000

Congratulations, we are only one step away!
In a massive step towards the introduction of a portable long service leave scheme for community sector workers, legislation has been introduced into the Victorian lower house of parliament that will, if passed, finally enable workers like you to access portable long service leave.

The state Labor government have only taken this step because thousands of ASU community sector members like you have signed petitions, visited their local member of parliament and rallied other members to push for it. You made this happen.

This has taken more than 15 years but we are really close to finally having the portable long service leave scheme that you deserve. The ASU now call on the state Coalition, the Greens Party and upper house cross bench members to pass this Bill without delay.

2017-06-29 11:11:35 +1000

52 years combined service and NO long service leave!
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2017-06-07 22:02:00 +1000

Participants at #Progress2017 support a portable long service leave scheme for community sector workers. #givemeabreak
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2017-06-05 12:35:56 +1000

Community service workers from across Victoria are committed to fight until they achieve portable long service leave for their sector #givemeabreak
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2017-06-01 09:26:23 +1000

ASU community service members met in Frankston to express their frustration that portable long service leave is not yet available to them. The prevailing theme was "can we just get this done and move on?". Frankston members are as fed up with the delay as other members across Victoria. #givemeabreak
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2017-05-31 10:49:12 +1000

Day two of #givemeabreak week was held in Melbourne. Members shared their stories and frustration at working years in the sector, some decades, without being able to access long service leave.
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2017-05-29 16:57:32 +1000

PLSL campaign meetings will be held all across Victoria this week, the first was held in Morwell today with this feisty bunch. #givemeabreak http://www.asuvictas.com.au/images/images/PLSLmorwell1.jpg

2017-05-04 09:15:54 +1000

1,000 signatures reached

2017-05-03 12:49:00 +1000

Thank you to those that have taken the time to sign, please consider sharing with your networks to raise the profile of this important petition. If you’re working in the industry and not yet a member of the ASU then now is the time to join: asuvictas.com.au We need everyone’s combined support to get this across the line. Over the next few weeks members will be invited to mass meetings to discuss next steps required to secure the long overdue sector wide, compulsory, legislated portable long service leave scheme in Victoria.

2017-04-27 21:02:01 +1000

500 signatures reached

2017-04-27 09:34:41 +1000

100 signatures reached

2017-04-27 09:21:38 +1000

50 signatures reached

2017-04-27 09:16:38 +1000

25 signatures reached

2017-04-27 09:14:20 +1000

10 signatures reached