NEWS-HR

Nearly half of all Victoria’s disability sector employees have witnessed their co-workers perpetrate acts of abuse, violence or neglect on people with disabilities living in their care, a survey reveals. The findings have raised new concerns about the lack of qualifications needed to work in the industry, and warnings that abuse will only increase without reforms to “professionalise” the sector before it doubles in size under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Brunswick Lodge is to defend an unfair dismissal claim (Nepal).

The Health Services Union and Austin Health are in a s.739 (Application to deal with a dispute) stoush.

The Department of Human Services is before Fair Work Commissioner Gregory answering a s.372 (Application to deal with other contravention disputes) lodged by an ex-departmental nabob (O’Doherty).

Blue Care is being badgered by a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) lodged by an ex-employee (Woolston).

The Salvation Army finds itself having to defend a s.394 (Application for unfair dismissal remedy) launched by an ex-employee (Price).

Former union leader Kathy Jackson has been ordered to pay about $1.4 million after a damning judgement found she stole money from the Health Services Union. Federal Court Justice Richard Tracey found Ms Jackson guilty of misusing her position as head of the Health Services Union to fraudulently gain financial advantage. Ms Jackson was found to have misappropriated union money in a variety of ways, including large cash withdrawals, the misuse of three credit cards and from a financial settlement from a Melbourne cancer hospital.