Meal and Refreshment Allowance Dispute: Advice on claiming and paying the allowances
O’Farrell’s class war ramps up – workers compensation blitzkrieg II
Meal and Refreshment Allowance Dispute: Advice on claiming and paying the allowances
1. Station Commanders should continue to pay all incident and overtime meal and refreshment allowance claims out of petty cash prior to the cessation of duty as follows:
for incident meal allowances, members should be paid $14.15 – no more and no less;
for incident refreshment allowances, members should be $7.10 – no more and no less; and
for overtime meal allowances, permanent members should be paid the full $26.45, which is not subject to any tax.
2. Station Commanders should only record the money actually paid to members in the station’s petty cash book. Any money left in the petty cash float may be used for future allowance payments. There is no need for Station Commanders to record the tax, or to set any amounts aside for tax, or to worry about anything to do with the tax on these allowances – that’s all the Department’s problem.
3. Members should not claim meal and refreshment allowance through T&E (ESS), even if there is no petty cash available. Members should record every instance that a meal and refreshment allowances is not paid by the cessation of duty on this form and fax it to the union office on fax no. 9218 3488.
4. Members should keep a record of all meal and refreshment allowance payments they receive.
5.Members should ignore any request from management to retrieve or return any meal or refreshment allowance that has been paid from petty cash, and should contact the Union immediately if threatened for following this advice.
O’Farrell’s class war ramps up – workers compensation blitzkrieg II
Following a very successful joint delegates meeting yesterday, momentum is building in the campaign against O’Farrell’s devastating workers compensation changes. A television and radio campaign has commenced, and if you haven’t seen the tv ad check it out on the Union’s website. Members should also log on to www.NSWforAll.org.au , sign the petition and email your local MP.
At the heart of this attack are NSW employers who complain premiums are too high. There are states where workers comp premiums are cheaper. There are others where they are more expensive. But this ignores the real issue – workers in NSW are more likely to be injured or killed at work than anywhere else in the country. Rather than cut benefits, we need safer workplaces.
There is a massive rally planned for Wednesday 13 June at 12.30pm outside NSW Parliament House. Once again, I am confident that FBEU members will be there in force. Off duty members are encouraged to attend in full turn out gear.
Inside this issue: