The PSA and workplace delegates continue to renegotiate the Local Land Services Award with Local Land Service s (LLS) and Department of Regional NSW (DRNSW) management representatives.
The Review – Why?
The LLS Award began life as a transitional award that attempted to combine the needs of former employees of the Livestock Health & Pest Authority, Catchment Management Authority NSW, and parts of NSW Department of Primary Industries. In the 10 years since LLS was formed and the award created, it has failed to evolve with the maturation of the agency.
From a PSA perspective, the review is twofold. As well as attempting to ensure consistency of entitlements across the various LLS Regions, the review will give the union the opportunity to ventilate concerns raised by members with the operation of the Award.
This includes but is not limited to:
- The number of staff on 35hr/week compared to 38hr/week
- Staff regularly forfeiting flex hours
- Overlap between the Administrative Classifications
- The disparity of administrative roles between regions with no clear alignment of role and pay
- The substantial increase in the number of Team Leader roles relative to general staff numbers
- The differences between LLS regions in naming similar roles
- Experienced Biosecurity Officers moving to Land Services roles for pay increases
- Roles that are under-graded for the work that they are required to perform
- Obsolete classification types
- Statewide roles pay more for very similar functions administered in regions
- The inability to attract and retain experienced District Veterinarians
- The appropriateness of the current flex arrangements for staff returning to work or working extended hours due to urgent and unplanned tasks
- Pay and conditions during Emergency Responses including lack of linkage between Emergency Management (EM) role and pay, stand down days and additional pay that acknowledges extra burden of EM work.
- Lack of progression opportunities and clear guidelines to assess progression requests.
There are also assumptions that there are different interpretations on entitlements from one LLS region to the next. This includes but is not limited to:
- Travel and meal allowances
- Overtime
- Time in Lieu
- Professional Development (including conference attendance)
- Inequitable access to flexible work and flextime
Workforce Establishment Data and Award Conditions – we need your input
The PSA and LLS are reviewing these concerns through the interrogation of several data sets. The workforce establishment data provides the PSA and LLS with raw figures and some understanding of the number of staff in each classification; the breakdown in Regions; the naming differences and the grading differences.
Other data sources have focused on matters like forfeited hours for flex or current vacancies.
Confirming this data with our members is the second portion of the process and this is why having your input is so important.
Breaking Up the Review into Bite Sized Pieces
Along with PSA representatives, several workplace delegates have been identified to lead different elements of the reviews. Your involvement will assist those members to progress the issues and to seek better outcomes through Award variations.
Administration officers stream Review – Donna Donehue, Chris Sheen, Matt Kennedy and Lisa Martin
Working Hours Review – Matt Kennedy, Shaun Slattery, Julie Dart, Lisa Martin, Paul Simpson, Chris Sheen Mal Leeson,
Emergency Response pay and conditions review – Matt Kennedy, Shaun Slattery, Donna Donehue & Jane Crystal
Biosecurity Officers stream Review – Matt Kennedy & Mal Leeson
Land Services officers review – Julie Dart, Jane Crystal & Chris Sheen
District Veterinarian Review – Lisa Martin & Shaun Slattery
The review of this information will be a massive undertaking and we thank our delegates for their ongoing work supporting the membership. The PSA encourages members to ask questions, provide feedback and input through the delegates listed above.
Reading this and not a member? Here’s three reasons why you should join.
- There is strength in unity.
- Union members are the only LLS staff with access to the workplace delegates and the PSA who will re-negotiate the Award.
- Union members are the only LLS employees who vote yes or no on the Award once those negotiations are finalised.