Chapter:
18 - Industrial Relations
Mover:
Seconder:
 
 
Source:
Union: CPSU
My Private Notes


Preamble

People with disability are entitled to their human rights, including the right to dignity, equity, and freedom from discrimination. One of these rights includes the right to work in an accessible workplace and progress their careers – free from abuse, vilification, and exploitation.

On paper, Labor understands that disability rights are human rights – and that human rights are disability rights. Labor committed to embedding the Social and Human Rights Model of Disability, as reflected in not the ALP’s 2023 National Party Platform and understands that our governments have obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (‘CRPD’), for which Australia is a treaty signatory.

In practice, we have more work to do. To actualise Labor’s commitment to disability rights, Labor must strive to break down the barriers that limit people with disability – including Autistic and other Neurodivergent people – from fully participating in all aspects of our community – by maximising the socioeconomic & community contribution of people with disability.

Part of this commitment must entail breaking down the ableist & inaccessible barriers for employment, especially in the public sector and government roles. Although approximately 20% of Australia’s population lives with disability, disability representation within the public service remains stagnant and concerning. For example, less than 5% of the Australian Public Service (‘APS’) employees have a disability according to the APS HR systems.  As a model employer, we call the APS to lead by example by removing such barriers to employment for people with disability.

In response, Labor has undertaken some actions to improve disability representation within the public sector. For example, the National Autism Strategy (‘NAS’) has begun synergising with state/territory initiatives such as the Victorian Autism Plan and ACT Labor’s commitment to co-design an ACT Neurodiversity Strategy as a key action under the new ACT Disability Strategy First Action Plan 2024-2026.

Furthermore, the 2023 National Conference and 2023 National Party Platform has committed to implementing the National Autism Strategy (‘NAS’) across Australia, acknowledging that the unemployment rate for Autistic individuals is almost three (3) times the unemployment rate for people with disability and almost six (6) times higher than that for the general population.

Further action is required to address the disproportionately high unemployment of people with disability – especially in the public sector. Under Recommendation 7.18, the Disability Royal Commission (‘DRC’) had recommended that all levels of government ‘increase… opportunities for people with disability in public sector employment’,

•       Unfortunately, this Recommendation – for a Public Sector Neurodiversity Roadmap – is left out of the National Autism Strategy (‘NAS’) – and the words ‘autism’, ‘neurodiversity’, and ‘neurodivergent’ are nowhere to be seen within the APS Disability Employment Strategy (2020-2025). 

Urgent action is required to remediate the ongoing inertia with supporting people with disability – especially Autistic and other Neurodivergent people – in the public sector. We must heed the call-to-action from advocates & the unions – and respond accordingly to not only the National Autism Strategy (‘NAS’) but also the Disability Royal Commission.



General Resolution

Supporting Diversity, Disability, & Neurodiversity in the Public Sector

1) Labor will commit to strengthening employment & participation opportunities for people with disability, including Autistic and other Neurodivergent people, by not only improving disability employment within the public sector but also safeguarding the right of people with disability to progress their careers within the public service (e.g. APS, ACTPS).

2) Labor will better support not only neurodiversity and disability representation within the public service but also the implementation of the National Autism Strategy ('NAS') and state/territory strategies, such as the proposed ACT Neurodiversity Strategy

a.  Labor will support the implementation of NAS Commitments 7.6, 9.2, and 9.3 by co-designing Public Sector Neurodiversity Roadmaps, which must integrated within the relevant public sector disability employment strategies (e.g. the APS Disability Employment Strategy, the ACTPS People with Disability Employment Framework). 

3) Labor will acknowledge the Disability Royal Commission ('DRC') and its Findings by improving disability employment strategies of the public service – such as the APS Disability Employment Strategy or the ACTPS People with Disability Employment Framework.

a. Labor will implement the DRC Recommendations relating to public sector employment (DRC Recommendations 7.18-7.22) by committing to them and embedding them within the disability employment strategies of the public service – such as the APS Disability Employment Strategy or the ACTPS People with Disability Employment Framework.
b. Labor will prioritise the implementation of DRC Recommendation 7.18 and DRC Recommendations 7.19, so that the proportion of new public service hires in the public service increases to at least 9% by 2030.