The Community and Public Sector Union, representing workers in the National Disability Insurance Agency, says last night’s 7.30 report on the ABC shows the agency has a lot more to do to support their own workers with disability.
The CPSU has been contacted by many NDIA employees with disability, who have experienced a lack of support and reasonable adjustment from the agency to allow them to perform their work.
These problems range from insufficient technological support, inaccessible training and work systems, and unrealistic workloads.
Last night’s report on the ABC shone a spotlight on these issues and the devastating effect they have on workers with disability.
Quotes attributable to CPSU Deputy National Secretary, Beth Vincent-Pietsch:
“We know that having NDIA employees with lived experience of disability is incredibly important to delivering the services that NDIS participants deserve.
“We also know that under the Coalition, understaffing at the NDIA has created unsafe workloads and pressure that have made the working lives of NDIA employees with disability, in particular, unsustainable.
“Recently, the NDIA was found by health and safety regulator Comcare to be in breach of its work health and safety obligations due to unreasonable staff workloads and KPIs.
“It is heartbreaking to hear from workers with disability that they are unable to continue working in the agency due to these problems. The impact on these workers is unacceptable. It is also a great loss to the agency and NDIS participants to lose their invaluable contribution and insight.
“Labor’s recent election promises to increase staffing at NDIA and increase the representation of people with disability on the NDIA executive and board, would go a long way to addressing these issues.
“We need urgent action from the NDIA and politicians to better support people with disability, including NDIA employees.
