Get pens out for super seminar leave campaign

If you would like to see paid leave accessed for attendance at superannuation seminars you need to start campaigning, writes LENORE HANKINSON.

Federation recently met with the Department of Education and Training (DET) to negotiate the provision of paid leave for members of the State Superannuation Scheme (SSS) and State Authority Superannuation Scheme (SASS) to attend retirement seminars conducted by the State Authorities Trustee Corporation during work time. It has long been a source of some frustration that public sector retirement seminars for teacher members in the State Superannuation Scheme and State Authority Superannuation Scheme can only be accessed by teachers in the school vacation periods or immediately after school. For example, of all the SASS and SSS seminars offered in October, November and December 2007, totalling 18, teachers were only able to access those that were offered in the October school holidays, that is, just eight.

The State Authorities Trustee Corporation runs approximately 75 seminars a year, but this year only 38 were accessible by teachers (30 at the Portside Centre in Sydney and eight in regional areas).

This is not the case for other public sector workers who can access various forms of paid leave such as rostered days off and special leave.

It has been reported that teachers, compared to other members of the public sector, are not as well informed about their entitlements as other members of the public sector and do not evince much understanding of superannuation until retirement is close to hand. Easier access to retirement financial planning would address this and lead to better member and community outcomes.

County members must either travel to city locations to attend school vacation seminars or travel long distances on dangerous country roads to attend seminars from 4.15pm to 8.30pm in regional centres like Moree or Inverell. Lack of access to childcare is also an issue that would inhibit attendance.

DET rejected Federation's proposal that paid leave be provided for teachers, arguing that retirement planning is a personal matter that should be accessed in a member's non teaching time. This line of argument belies the fact that responsible retirement planning has considerable community benefits. It is also a responsibility of an employer to provide information around the financial investment that the employee has made in the scheme in order to maximise the benefits to the individual, and thence to the community. Superannuation is, after all, deferred income.

DET has also maintained in discussions that teacher members should avail themselves primarily with information from the contact inquiry lines. It was said that information service was comprehensive enough to address personal circumstances.

As anyone who has tried to access information from any contact call centre can tell you, these services are intended to churn through inquiries quickly and efficiently. Expanded answers are not part of the service brief. Customer service officers are not encouraged to embroider responses. If the subject does not come up, it is not suggested and further inquires are not prompted. This type of service cannot provide the same depth of detail as the three hour seminars provide.

If you would like to see paid leave accessed for attendance at superannuation seminars, raise it at your local association meeting. You can also write to Director-General Michael Coutts-Trotter (mct@det.nsw.edu.au) and NSW Education Minister John Della Bosca [NSW Government, Level 33, Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney, NSW 2000 or fax (02) 9228 4392] to protest this anomaly.

Lenore Hankinson is an Industrial Officer.

For further information

October 2007 contents