The National Parks Vocational Branch (NPVB) met on Tuesday 10 May to discuss a range of industrial issues affecting members. Please see a summary of the issues below:

PSA PAYRISE CAMPAIGN

Troy Wright (Assistant General Secretary of the PSA) explained the need for a pay rise for members. In 2011 a wages cap enshrined in legislation the annual pay rises to a maximum 2.5 per cent. Since then, most years, it has covered rises in inflation. Unfortunately, inflation is now over 5 per cent. Hence the PSA wrote to the Government requesting a pay rise higher than the 2.5 per cent cap in public sector pay rises. It also asked that employer superannuation contributions for women should continue for 12 months after the birth of a child. To date there has been no response from the Government. This being the case the PSA will consider its options as to how to progress the matter.

Any campaign for a pay rise will come at a significant cost to the PSA. Funding for a pay rise case will come from members’ contributions. Hence we ask that you encourage any NON MEMBERS to join up and support the PSA pay rise campaign.

FIRE ROLES FOR WOMEN

Discussion was had in relation to womens’ roles in firefighting. This included the provision of appropriate career paths and training for women to progress through operational fire roles to perform senior roles in incident management teams.

COVID ISSUES

There continues to be discrepancies and inconsistency in the application of the flexible work toolkit by managers across the state. Basically it’s a mess!

The PSA is analysing the results of the members’ survey on COVID and flexible work and will continue to raise this issue based on the survey results.

SERVICE ACCOMODATION

After many years of the PSA raising the issue of staff housing, the PSA understands that repairs have been made to some on park housing in Greater Sydney Branch to bring them up to a standard to allow staff rental, however issues remain in other parts of the state. In particular at more remote locations off park accommodation needs to be sourced to encourage staff retention.

RECRUITMENT TO WILD HORSE PROGRAM – KOSCIUSZKO NATIONAL PARK

Once again recruitment is being undertaken for a program that is intended to run for 5 years whilst initial recruitment for roles in the program is only for 12 months. Given the full employment situation in most regional areas some additional incentive is required to encourage potential applicants. A role extending out to 5 years would be an added incentive. Discussions in relation to this matter are ongoing with the department.

INCIDENT DECLARATIONS

The PSA also met with NPWS management to discuss recent flood and landslip incidents not being declared as incidents under our award. The PSA believes that these incidents meet the requirements to be a declared incident.

NPWS management undertook to review the situation and respond back. The PSA will continue to pursue this issue.