Commission result good for NSW Agriculture Staff

The PSA says that the outcome of the NSW Industrial Commission hearing in the dispute over the Governments plans to transfer 75 jobs to Orange and Tocal from Yanco, Wollongbar and Menangle was a win for staff affected.

"After an hour and a half of submissions the Commission was able to get agreement on a process that would allow proper consideration of the proposals and an opportunity to try and come up with alternatives," Shane O'Brien, PSA Assistant General Secretary said.

The Commission put in place a process whereby the PSA could access relevant information regarding the decision, and a timeframe to discuss any alternative proposals prior to the Department implementing transfers or redundancies.

"This gives us the opportunity to test the validity of the claims being made by the Department and the Minister and to look at ways to overcome any real or perceived problems without disrupting the lives of so many country families," Mr O'Brien said.

"The sad aspect to all this is that the transparent process we can now work through only came about because the PSA forced it upon the Department through Industrial Commission proceedings. The behaviour of the Department and the Minister until now has only served to create a climate of distrust and resentment among staff and local communities," Mr O'Brien said.

The PSA will present a response document to the Department by September 26th and both parties will be back in the Industrial Commission on October 13th.

"We will be spending the next few weeks scrutinising the claims of the Department. It is our firm belief that the full story on these issues is not being told", Mr O'Brien said.

"Our jobs, our community."
KEEP COUNTRY NSW AT WORK