Family Violence and Financial Counselling - making Connections

Connections was successful in receiving funding from Financial Counselling Australia to develop a tool for financial counsellors to identify family violence/financial abuse.  As a first step Connections has developed a survey tool to scope financial counsellors level of understanding of family violence.  This will give them information on developing a tool that is appropriate to financial counsellors.

This is the link to the survey  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3NMW35C.

If you need further information please contact:

Bask Cassar

Team Leader, Family Violence & Financial Counselling/NILS

Southern, Specialist Services

Connections

T 03 9521 5666

F 03 9521 5220

bask.cassar@connections.org.au

www.connections.org.au

Fair Work Australia wage decision handed down.

The Full Bench of Fair Work Australia today handed down their decision in the Australian Services Unio Equal Pay Case. The ASU is pleased to report that this result achieves what union members have been fighting for - to attain minimum pay rates genuinely reflecting the value of the work you perform.  As well as delivering better rates of pay to workers in our sector, it also makes steps towards closing the gender pay gap of 18% in Australia – an achievement all ASU members should be very proud of!

The decision sees the minimum wage rates of the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry (SCHCADS) Award 2010 receive increases of 23% - 45% over the phase in period.  This is equivalent to the ASU claim of rates equivalent to those won by Queensland community workers in 2009.

The ASU is disappointed to see the phase-in period suggested by the union has been extended to 8 years, which will only see the final rates realised in 2020.  This is dues to some state governments, including Victoria and Tasmania failing to commit the necessary amount of funding to pay for the increases. However, the ASU intends to pursue this matter further.

What now?

1.    Forward this message to your colleagues who are not yet in the Union and ask them to join the ASU today and share in this victory. Join online at: http://www.asuvictas.com.au/your-union/join-online.html

2.   Come to ASU members’ mass meeting to find out more and next steps:

a. Melbourne: 12:00 on Thursday 16^th February at Vic Trades Hall

How does this apply to me?

The decision provides for the increases to be phased in over eight years in nine equal instalments, commencing on 1 December 2012 and ending on 1 December 2020. The exact amount of the increase depends on how you are classified.  To know how the decision applies to your rate of pay, you will need to know how you would be classified under the SCHCADS Award. Equal Pay increases will be in addition to Award increases granted via annual wage reviews.  Importantly, the Full Bench has stated that salary packaging should continue as current.

What about funding for the decision?

We all know that your employers rely heavily on government funding to provide services to our communities, including your pay and conditions.  The Federal Government gave an unequivocal commitment to fully fund programs in their areas of responsibility, whatever it takes to deliver equal pay.  As yet, we don't have a commitment from the Victorian or Tasmanian State Governments. 

The ASU will provide further details of the decision in coming weeks.  The fight isn’t over yet we need to ensure that this outcome is fully funded with no cuts to jobs and no loss of service to our communities.

To read the Full Bench decision in whole: http://www.fwa.gov.au/sites/remuneration/decisions/2012fwafb1000.htm

Join the ASU here:

http://www.asuvictas.com.au/your-union/join-online.html

Read the media release from Financial Counselling Australia here

FCRC Members in the News - September 9-11

Following a successful protest at the Geelong Cash Convertors, members of FCRC received good local coverage.  Given the well financed astro-turf campaign lead by the payday lenders, it was great to see a true grassroots response:

Geelong Advertiser September 10

Geelong Advertiser September 12

FCA Press Release

FCRC in the News: Herald Sun April 22

Call for banking sector sympathy as flood pain lingers in Queensland and Victoria

HOMEOWNERS stripped of their livelihoods in the Victorian and Queensland floods are bracing for banks to again start demanding mortgage repayments.

The Victorian Financial and Consumer Rights Council says the 240 free financial counselling services across the state are getting hundreds of calls from Victorians worried they face a bleak future when 90-day repayment holidays expire within days.

"This a big and growing problem for us right now," the council's chief executive, Peter Gartlan, said.

"Hundreds of people have come forward in Queensland and the problem is coming to Victoria now."

Mr Gartlan said the holiday period wasn't long enough.

"Three months is not enough time to get on your feet, these were devastating events for some people.

"We want the banks to extend their hardship assistance to match the period of actual hardship experienced by the borrower."

Mr Gartlan's group has joined with the National Financial Counselling Credit Reform Association to call for a uniform approach from the banks to hardship relief.

He said that while banks were entitled to take a case-by-case approach, it was important for "people living next door to each other to be treated the same no matter which bank they are with".

But the banks' powerful lobby group, the Australian Bankers' Association, is resisting the call.

CEO Steven Munchenberg said banks needed to tailor customer assistance because individual circumstances differed.

"The ABA is aware of the financial counsellors' call for standardisation on hardship and we will be talking with them next week as to whether any improvements can be made," he said. "Just because the emergency relief has finished or is due to expire, (it) doesn't mean that the banks' doors are closed on further assistance."

National Australia Bank media manager Sharon Keller said the bank was continuing to assist flood and cyclone-hit customers.

A spokesman for the Commonwealth Bank said some flood-hit borrowers chose not to take up its offer of a three-month repayment break.

ANZ and Westpac said this week they would extend the 90-day period if necessary.

More than 45,000 Victorian households made insurance claims in January and February as a result of storms and floods.

A Fair Go in Insurance

FCRC, as part of a coalition of consumer advocacy and legal aid organisations, has signed on to 'A Fair Go in Insurance,' a twelve step proposal to improve and regulate the insurance industry. 

Currently the insurance industry is one of the most underregulated in the country, a fact evident in the seemingly inevitable disputes that arise following natural disasters.  It is hoped that the proposals will be adapted and the insurance industry brought to heel.

A Fair Go in Insurance is available here.