Ongoing Jobs - July 2021 (PDF version)

The quarterly Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) between the Australian Museum and the PSA took place on June 25 2021. The meeting was following the 2021-22 NSW state budget.

The PSA raised your voice directly with the Australian Museum executive and management representatives. Below are the PSA’s notes of the meeting. These are not official minutes, which will be agreed and circulated to the membership prior to the next Joint Consultative Committee.

Change Management Plan

The PSA presented its final feedback on the Change Management Plan and made suggestions as to what could be incorporated into future plans.

COVID-19 communication

Prior to the JCC, the PSA Delegates requested a Working from Home communication be circulated to all staff. The PSA noted in the JCC that the Australian Museum promptly responded to the PSA’s request, and circulated the requested communication.

The PSA discussed the creation of a formal communications plan for future COVID-19 outbreaks to ensure Australian Museum staff are kept informed.

Australian Museum CAPEX funding

The PSA and the Australian Museum discussed review of capex funding for CEP management. The museum will send out an explainer to CEP staff.

PSA advocates for ongoing roles

The PSA requested temporary employment figures be brought to the meeting. The Australian Museum provided these figures from April 2021, at least 88 staff being classified as temporary employees.

The PSA discussed the goals of its Keep Our Icons Alive campaign – which campaigned for the NSW Government to provided funded, permanent and safe jobs at NSW Cultural Institutions.

The PSA stated its key principles in any process to increase ongoing roles was to be formalised, transparent and objective. The PSA’s recollects the Australian Museum agreed with these principles.

The Australian Museum discussed its plans to review its needs over the next six to nine months regarding ongoing employment. It will look at roles and seek to understand what is necessary for determining the need for ongoing roles

The PSA and the Australian Museum agreed ongoing employment was important. This is a productive step forward – the PSA supports ongoing, long-term public service jobs.

Keep Our Icons Alive campaign win and the NSW 2021-22 budget

The PSA also discussed the NSW State budget figures. The PSA is pleased to confirm that the Keep Our Icons Alive campaign was a success. PSA members acting together stopped the reported Budget Estimates cuts of $13 million to the Australian Museum.

The Australian Museum confirmed that for 2021-22 overall there was an increase in funding. The difficulty going forward will be how to continue to ensure funding levels are kept consistent.

The PSA welcomes the increase in funding. This is a successful outcome of the PSA’s Keep Our Icons Alive campaign. However, the PSA considers the NSW Government must go further with its funding increases, to ensure the Australian Museum can continue to deliver high-level services to the NSW community.

The PSA will continue to hold the NSW Government to account to ensure Cultural Institution jobs are funded, permanent and safe.

The PSA is your voice at the Australian Museum – join the PSA today.