This month over 60 ASU delegates participated in our Disability and Social and Community Services conferences. One delegate from Ability Options, Umaru Jalloh, attended to represent members at Ability Options.
Umaru is a support worker in Accommodation in Sydney, who was elected by his colleagues to be a delegate in June.
At the Disability Delegates’ Conference, we discussed our hopes and heartbreaks with working in the NDIS. The biggest concern was increasing pressure to do more, but in less time under a pay structure that doesn't recognise the actual work. There was also frustration about the lack of training and development opportunities within the sector.
Our biggest hope was the possibility of unions and the sector broadly working together to improve the NDIS system, with greater emphasis on training and recognition of the skills required to work in the sector. We brainstormed creative ideas on how we could campaign for these changes, and who we can bring on board as allies.
During the Social and Community Services Delegates’ Conference, delegates from all across our sector met together and shared experiences about what growing inequality is meaning to our clients and our work.
We workshopped ideas about how we can advocate for a Civil Society where we fund services properly and have greater protection our jobs and conditions.
If you want to know more about the conferences or if you don’t have a delegate for your workplace, get in touch with us.