Pillar Administration - proposals and counter proposals

Negotiations

Pay
No pay increase quantum was included in the offer

Sick Leave
The changes proposed to sick leave were complicated and confusing and would not necessarily address Pillar's stated goal of managing possible misuse of sick leave.

Annual Leave
The changes proposed to annual leave appeared to be in response to management at Pillar not managing leave as effectively as they could under the current award.

Increase of Span of Hours
The PSA would never agree to the removal of penalty rates and we were concerned with the financial detriment the removal of such rates could bring to affected members.

Reduction of Overtime
This was not a matter which required a change to the Award. The PSA recognises the right of Management at Pillar to manage overtime as long as:

• Available overtime is distributed equitably amongst staff;
• Staff are not undertaking unpaid overtime;
• Such management of overtime does not result in unreasonable workloads for staff which in turn could reduce an employee's ability to take leave.

Reduction in Equivalent Full Time Positions
This was not an Award matter. The PSA expects that any workplace change will be conducted in accordance with the Award and all relevant policies.

As a consequence of the 10 September meeting Pillar tabled a revised offer at our negotiations of 17 September 2008 which:

• Included a pay offer of 4 per cent per year for three years.
• Removed the proposed change to Annual Leave
• Amended the proposed change to Sick Leave to remove the additional proposed requirement medical certificates. In its place is a proposal to add wording to clause 51.3(a) of the Award "Requirement for Medical Certificate". The clause is below with the additional wording in italics:

  "An employee absent from duty on the grounds of illness: (i) in respect of any such absence in excess of 3 consecutive working days - shall; or (ii) In respect of any such absence of 3 consecutive working days or less - shall if required to do so by the CEO, furnish a medical certificate to the CEO. This requirement will be initiated in conjunction with an analysis of sick leave taken by the staff member during the previous 12 month period."

• Kept the proposed increase in the span of hours from 7am to 7pm to 6am to 10pm with no applicable shift loadings. The change is proposed via an amendment to clause 18.2 "Flexible Working Hours Arrangement - Hours of Work".

The proposal stated that no current employee would be forced onto a different work arrangement and that staff currently in receipt of a shift loading will maintain that payment except where the employee who is in receipt of shift loading changes department or working arrangements.

The PSA again raised a number of concerns about the issue. These included:

• Access to flexible working hours (flex time) and overtime
• Availability of desks and other resources for flex time or overtime
• Whether staff would retain loadings if:
• there was a change in management
• there was a change in reporting lines
• an employee was promoted within the same department at the same time span.
• an employee was promoted in a different department within the same time span.
• An employee's position description was changed.
• Whether staff could volunteer for a change and return to original hours
• Whether staff who volunteer to change then return to original hours would lose loadings.

The PSA requested that Pillar's response to these questions be put to us in writing.

In the PSA members' meeting immediately following the negotiations members raised other concerns. These were:

• Availability of computer support for the extended time span.
• Impact on system support procedures such as syncing, password resetting.
• How the support centre would work with the new span of hours as it is currently open from 7.30am to 6pm.
• Whether the computer systems could cope with the proposed arrangements as the back up process continues until 7.30am.
• Security for staff working the early and late hours
• Car park closure times
• The possible effects of the increase in the span of hours on all staff.
• The possibility of staff feeling pressured to move to new hours.
• 4 per cent increase not sufficient.

Members felt that the proposed change would bring too much uncertainty and that staff working out of ordinary hours should be properly recompensed with appropriate payment of a shift loading.

Consequently PSA members instructed the negotiating team to reject Pillar's revised offer and to begin work on an industrial campaign for PSA members to work toward a better outcome.

The next PSA meeting will be on October 1 2008. Please bring other members or potential members to the meeting. Membership forms will be available.

Please note that the PSA is returning to the Industrial Relations Commission for conciliation on the matter on October 15 at 10am. Therefore your attendance at the 1 October members meeting is vital to assisting your PSA representatives adequately advocating your views.

Workplace Delegates:
Coniston: Michael Arney; Dincer Ipek; Yvonne Lumsden-Knipe; Raelene Wenig;
Sydney Head Office Shailendra Maharaj

PSA Staff
Olivia Morris and Maria Cirillo 9220 0929