The Master/Slave dynamic is alive and well for Ministerial Drivers.

Four days before Christmas they received an email telling them their roles would be spilled and the funding moved from the Department of Premier and Cabinet to the individual Ministers’ offices.

Graciously our members have been advised that they can submit an Expression of Interest for the job they have held for many years. But a question we ask is whether the Minister may have someone else they would rather give the job to; a mate perhaps? Or may they use the funds in some other way?

Now if they are lucky enough to get the job, they are not a whole lot better.

They are being moved under the Members of Parliament Act 2013 which moves them from the Award conditions they previously worked under. It also removes any rights they previously had to appeal against dismissal. There is also no right to consultation or negotiation on the conditions they work under.

So if the Minister doesn’t like them, they can be sacked. No right of appeal.

If the Minister resigns, is removed from the Ministry, is not re-elected, the Drivers can lose their jobs, too.

There is no security of employment.

No security for their families.

Their livelihoods are at the whims of the Minister. This is the sort of environment that disempowers employees, prevents them from making valid complaints, opens the door to bullying, discrimination and harassment.

In recent years much work has been done to establish strong Work Health and Safety guidelines for the Drivers whose role has made them available to the Minister for what can be very long hours. Tired Drivers on the road is in no-one’s interest.

When employed by the Department of Premier and Cabinet there was some control over excessive hours on the road. Now there is no buffer zone and Work Health and Safety is out the window.

We’ve ticked all the boxes here:

• Security of employment – gone
• Merit selection – gone
• Employee rights – gone
• Open door for discrimination
• Open door for harassment
• Open door for bullying
• Work Health and Safety – out the window.
• Existing Drivers – gone.

We don’t dispute the Ministers having Drivers in their important role; but fair’s fair (and this is not!).

Our leaders are meant to be our servants, not the other way around and the PSA will continue this battle for our members’ rights.