Office of Environment and Heritage update on dispute – March 2017 (PDF version)
The PSA appeared in the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) of NSW on Thursday, 9 March 2017 in relation to the introduction of a new classification, Principal Project Officer (PPO) which we believe was to replace the two Area Managers that were located at Narooma. The PSA provided information resulting from the loss of the Area Managers and the knock-on effects to other staff and National Parks in the regions.
The PSA argued this new PPO role was not in the Award and therefore the Department was attempting to circumvent the Award by the introduction of a new classification.
OEH produced a PPO role description that had not been cited by the PSA prior to Thursday proceedings. OEH advised the Commissioner the PPO role was not a Ranger role as it did not have Ranger functions. OEH also advised the IRC the PPO role which is renumerated as a Clerk Grade 11/12 currently existed in NSW National Parks and went on to produce around 40 examples which PSA believe are non-operational.
Due to the PSA not citing the PPO role description prior to Thursday’s proceedings, Commissioner Tabbaa adjourned the matter to give the parties the opportunity to discuss the PPO role and other issues that have been raised in court proceeding.
OEH were advised of the knock-on effect, the stress and workload issues this was having on the region with the loss of two Area Managers and not back-filling Ranger roles.
During conciliation and placed on record, it was agreed that National Parks will backfill vacant roles in the North and Central Southern Regions and also agreed that the PPO role was not a supervisory role, it is a support role for the two regions, which OEH agreed to.
The matter has been left open for four weeks to be relisted if need be.
Recent media
In response to our continued campaign to protect the conditions of NPWS Rangers, the PSA has been successful in gaining media around the offer the PSA put to OEH, and the subsequent refusal from OEH to engage with the PSA regarding it. You can view the article, which was printed in The Land HERE
To keep up to date with the campaign, and media around PSA’s campaign to Protect Our Parks, please “like” and follow the following Facebook page HERE.
Your Union, Your Power
Actively engage in building the PSA’s power and strength in your workplace by encouraging your colleagues to join the PSA – they can do so online at www.psa.asn.au. The more members we have, the stronger we are to advocate and fight for strong working conditions, better pay increases and protecting your jobs to ensure we continue to provide quality public services for NSW.