As PSA members will be aware, the union has been in discussions with the Crown Solicitor’s Office (CSO) management to develop a Flex Award for employees.

Unlike the recent Flex Award at the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which applies only to Legal Officers, the union is keen to ensure all staff at CSO have the same flex provisions from the outset of any new industrial instrument.

CSO management advise that they share the union’s position on coverage for all employees. It is abundantly clear based on PSA members experiences in ODPP that non-Legal Officer employees at ODPP continue to forfeit excess flex hours, and the PSA is seeking to avoid this in CSO.

On Friday 11 October 2024 CSO advised the PSA that bargaining parameters have been received from the NSW Government’s Senior Officers Wages Advisory Committee (SOWAC).

CSO now propose to commence formal discussions on the Flex Award with an initial meeting to be held on either 24 or 25 October 2024.

PSA Committee

The PSA Committee working on the CSO Flex Award has Legal Officers already available to participate in the consultation with management. Ben Madden and Ellyse McGee join Louise Coory to assist in ensuring flex provisions are appropriate to the needs of Legal Officers.

However, the PSA does not yet have any representative from Admin/Support/Corporate members to join us in the consultation.

To ensure that non-Legal Officers flex provisions are appropriately considered and factored into the new flexible working arrangements instrument, it is highly desirable for the PSA to have a member from the admin/support/corporate cohorts of CSO to participate in this consultation process.

The Flex Award consultation with CSO management is on paid time. CSO will arrange for time release for any member on the PSA team to participate in meetings.

If you are a PSA member in the Admin/Support/Corporate areas of CSO and would like to join the union team, please email, or call one of the union contacts below.

Your PSA contacts

Delegates

Benjamin Madden

Ellyse McGee

Louise Coory (presently on secondment)

PSA staff

Kim Villanti Organiser

 

Anthony Wright Industrial Officer