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The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) has welcomed the Federal Opposition’s commitment to support a stronger and better paid community sector if it is elected to government before the end of May.
Labor chose March 15, World Social Worker Day, to announce its election policy for the community sector in front of workers from neighbourhood centres, women’s, youth and disability support services.
The announcement was made at Blaxland Community Centre by Senator Jenny McAllister who is Shadow Assistant Minister for Communities & Preventing Family Violence), Andrew Leigh Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury and Charities And Not-For-Profits and Susan Templeman who is Federal Member for Macquarie.
ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie said, “Over the past three years every person living in Australia has been affected by bushfires, floods, COVID-19 or some combination of all these disasters.
“Community organisations have been absolutely critical in helping hundreds of thousands of people to survive and cope during this time.
“It’s vital that the next Federal Government, whoever they may be, better tap into the service expertise and policy knowledge in the sector to help Australia move into a period of recovery and stability.
“We welcome the Federal Opposition for making its election commitments clear to the Community Sector. We think that the principles framework announced today by the ALP is a positive step towards improved governance, regulation and collaboration with the community sector and urge a bipartisan approach to working with our sector.
“It is absolutely the time for government to strengthen its partnership with the community sector to ensure people in need can equitably access essential services and be assisted to overcome hardship, disadvantage and poverty.”
ACOSS said it particularly welcomed an undertaking to improve governance and regulation across the sector and stated that the Labor announcement a range of policies “which ACOSS has promoted across Parliament, including fostering a culture of partnership between Government and the community sector.”
According to ACOSS, it has been advocating for: longer and more stable contracting arrangements such as extending the length of contracts up to six years or more; fair wages and conditions for community sector workers and that labour costs are sufficiently funded in contracts.
The nation’s peak social services advocacy organization said it had also been calling for “the need for funding arrangements to reflect the cost of providing complex human services to people in need, proper indexation of funding arrangements, encouraging diversity in terms of size and scale of community organisations providing services and protecting charitable advocacy.
“We welcome the emphasis on partnership with the community sector to provide ongoing and authentic collaboration in the development of policy and design of services and examination of the most effective funding models.
“ACOSS acknowledges that the implementation of the above principles would require close consultation and collaboration over the next parliamentary term and we are pleased to see the Federal Opposition commit to such a partnership with the Community Sector.
“ACOSS seeks commitments from all major parties in the lead up to the next federal election to support an open and transparent partnership with the community sector, which continues every day to be on the frontline of supporting and protecting people from all walks of life.
Probably less surprising was the Australian Services Union’s (ASU) support for Labor’s announcement.
Judith Wright, ASU Deputy Secretary, said: “We have had nine years of neglect by this government, of poor funding, rolling contracts and targeted attacks. 31% of ASU members have told us that if urgent action is not taken, they will leave the sector in the next 12 months.”
Of course, the intrinsic message in the ACOSS and ASU response is that the current Morrison Government’s approach to the social services sector, even during a global pandemic, has not delivered fair wages and conditions for workers.
Labor has promised that, if elected, it would ensure adequate funding to cover increases in Award wages as determined annually by the Fair Work Commission, ensure funded paid Domestic Violence Leave in all community sector contracts, end short term funding (by introducing minimum 6-year funding contracts), increase the number of permanent and full-time positions in the sector, end gag clauses and fund advocacy.
The Opposition has also pledged “not fund for-profit providers in community services like homelessness, domestic violence services” and has committed to 10 days paid family and domestic violence leave.
ASU claimed credit for the family and domestic violence leave promise, stating that it emerged in response to the union’s We Won’t Wait Campaign.
“In 2018 when we started our Civil Society Campaign … ASU members held over 300 workplace meetings and the campaign was endorsed by 70 of our most senior delegates.
“Since then ASU members have been calling on employers and Government to make serious changes to save our sector. Today’s announcement is a huge win for ASU members, and a big step in the right direction.”
According to the official Labor announcement, “An Albanese Labor Government will support a stronger, more diverse and more independent community sector. Through floods, fires and a pandemic, the community sector has stepped up to provide support to struggling Australians.
“Despite this, the Morrison Government has repeatedly tried to devalue and silence community sector voices. At the same time, many community sector organisations have been working with less money, less funding certainty and increased stress.
“If elected, Labor will change this. We will end the Coalition’s attacks on the community sector, by scrapping gag clauses and restoring the freedom to advocate.
“Grants will reflect the real cost of delivering quality services, ending the practice of competing on wages. Contract terms will be longer so that organisations can plan for the future, workers have certainty, and services can become part of the community they serve.
“We will also ensure grant funding flows to a greater diversity of not-for-profits, with a renewed priority of partnering with trusted community organisations with strong local links. “Community sector and not for profit organisations that support our communities should be treated as respected partners of government. Labor will give the sector the voice and respect it deserves.
“Australian charities work hard to give millions of Australians a fair go. In turn, Labor will work with charities to support their work improving Australian communities.”
Edwina MacDonald, ACOSS Deputy CEO said: “The community sector has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty to ensure no one is left behind.
“Staff have worked longer hours, including without pay, to help people. We are encouraged by the Federal Opposition’s focus on ACOSS policy asks such as improving contracting arrangements, and ensuring the workforce is remunerated with fair wages and conditions.
“We also welcome the Federal Opposition’s proposals to protect charities legitimate right to advocate for systemic policy change on behalf of the people they serve every day in our communities. The vitality of our democracy depends greatly on a robust civil society representing everyday people.
“Given recent attempts to curtail charitable advocacy, we are pleased to see that this forms part of the Opposition’s commitments.”
