SAS Staff October News

School Administrative and Support Staff Easy Guide to Rights and Conditions

The PSA has produced a small booklet as a "pocket rocket" reference for members to use as an easy guide to their conditions of employment. It's a great resource and is for the use of PSA members and therefore is being sent to members' home addresses. I welcome your feedback on the booklet, so please email me at swalsh@psa.asn.au with your comments. My appreciation goes to Fran Collins as co-author and to Les Carr who was responsible for the production of the booklet.

Hours of Work for Administrative Officers and Administrative Managers

There are a number of emails circulating across the state about School Administrative and Support Staff losing hours next year. This is not true. Members will be aware that the PSA was successful in having the Department of Education and Training agree to convert temporary hours (corporate data, GST allocation and 2003/2004 additional staffing) to permanent hours. This was done to secure the hours and remove risk in the event that the Department decided to no longer fund or allocate temporary hours, eg the steady decline in levels of flexible staffing. Current discussion and consideration but not formal agreement is as follows:

• The additional staffing plus the corporate data allocations will convert to permanent hours and increase the schools formula entitlement for Administrative Officers. These additional hours will be offered in accordance with the current Departmental policy.
• The GST funding allocation will be used to increase the hours of work for Administrative Managers. Although, during the review process, the Department wanted Administrative Managers to work 35 hours per week, it has changed its position and is now not prepared to fund the increase in hours to 35 per week.
• However, the PSA has insisted that the GST allocation be converted to permanent hours for Administrative Managers. What we have achieved is an In Principle agreement that GST funding will be distributed between all Administrative Managers. Any increase in hours will be for Administrative Managers only.

Members should note that conversion of temporary hours to permanent hours is advantageous. Permanent hours are recognised for superannuation purposes and are paid not only during term time but for the full year. Permanent hours also benefit the school because they can not be deleted at the whim of the Department.

Members have raised the issue of flexibility and the ability to use the temporary hours in demanding work periods during the year. The PSA has conveyed those concerns to the Department and their response has been that there is funding in the Schools General Operation Grant which can be used for engaging casual staff when necessary. The Association is also negotiating better flexitime agreements for SAS staff. Those discussions are progressing.

The Award Implementation Steering Committee will be meeting shortly to further consider the Department's proposals and members will continue to be informed via newsletter.