Following an all-staff meeting, PSA Delegates and Industrial Staff met with the Executive of Art Gallery of NSW. The PSA representatives were briefed on the final proposed draft structure as part of the current Change Management Plan process.

The PSA highlights that we are still in a period of consultation through to 8 March 2024. We encourage members, particularly those in an impacted role and have a different view, to raise your concerns as part of this process. If you do not feel comfortable raising it with the Art Gallery directly, the PSA can raise concerns on your behalf. Members can send feedback through to  by 6 March 2024.

Impacted roles

PSA has been advised that all staff in the impacted roles have met with management and that if the current proposal goes through, there will be four pool recruitment process undertaken for those roles identified where there are more staff than positions. Unsuccessful persons from the pool process and those in singularly impacted roles will move on to the Workforce Mobility Program.

In discussions with the Executive, they were open to looking at different proposals if they are put forward.

Total position impacts

In addition to the 10 roles that impact current staff there is a further 21.5 FTE roles from the overall staffing establishment that will not be filled. Last year, the PSA undertook an extensive survey across members as to workload, which is a major concern for many.

While these cuts don’t have an immediate impact on any one person, they will need to be monitored as to the overall effect on workloads. For example, mention was made that for Projects, they should factor in additional staffing and not just push the work onto the existing staff.

It is expected that the new structure will take around six months to settle in.

Workforce Mobility Program (WMP)

This is a new policy introduced late last year with the purpose of retaining the skills and experience of Public Sector employees. In practical terms, for those ongoing staff who are directly impacted by this restructure, it introduces an additional process to redeploy staff into vacant roles. This is prior to declaring them excess and moving onto the Managing Excess Employees Policy (MEEP) and the offer of a voluntary redundancy. The PSA is committed to supporting those members through this process.

We are also supporting staff affected on temporary contracts, to whom the WMP and MEEP are exempt.

Members’ meeting on Wednesday 6 March

Depending on receipt of feedback from members, the PSA will look to provide additional feedback into the consultation. There will be a further lunchtime meeting for members on 6 March. A separate invite will be sent with details.