Thank you to our Environment Protection Authority (EPA) members who were able to attend the members’ meeting Wednesday 5 July to provide the PSA with feedback on the proposed restructuring.

The PSA has been made aware that commitments made by the Department at the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) last week regarding consultation (during this early restructure process), have failed to be adhered to. This disregard for agreed-upon measures is deeply troubling to the PSA.

During the meeting, several specific concerns and questions were raised by members. Here are the key points:

Lack of communication and consultation

• Members expressed frustration that the consultation period for the restructuring ended last week and they were not informed about the extension of the consultation period.
• Some members stated that they had not received any information or updates regarding the restructuring process, and they were not included in discussions about potential changes or their placements within the new structure.
• Concerns were raised about the lack of feedback documentation and whether individual concerns were being considered in determining the best fit for each employee.
• The Executive Officer cohort sent a draft structure diagram to Erin Torsello late Friday afternoon 30 June, this was not discussed with the admin/coordination staff before sending.

Requests for clarity and confirmation

• The PSA requested an updated organisation chart at the JCC last week, this has yet to be provided by EPA.
• Current Organisation chart sent out to employees contains inaccurate Divisional structures and out of date mapping.
• Admin/Coordination employees have yet to be placed within the proposed organisation chart, and have additionally not been communicated with directly regarding the potential changes and locations in the structure.

Lack of Q&A and information sharing

• Concerns were raised about the absence of further questions and answers (Q&A) since the initial announcement of the restructuring.
• Members stated that they had not seen any questions or answers submitted through the provided email box, and there was a lack of updates on the Q&A front.
• Additional concerns were raised regarding available communication channels, in particular whether there was proper assignment and management of mailboxes, as well as the capacity to respond to input and feedback.

The PSA is concerned by the apparent lack of forward planning by the Department. The importance of proper consultation and providing information to the affected employees is a primary concern for your industrial staff, as the consultation process cannot be considered finished without adequate communication.

Your Industrial Officer, Michael Sinclair, met with EPA following the member meeting to raise these concerns. EPA have given the PSA an undertaking that they will commit to the meaningful engagement of their employees during this consultation process.

Thank you to our members for their engagement and dedication in addressing these critical matters. We will keep you informed of any developments and progress in our continuing discussions, and ask that our members continue to keep in touch with your industrial representatives and delegates to ensure EPAs follow through.