Your union continues to work on reviewing the Rural Fire Service (RFS) award. RFS management has submitted its submission to participate in award bargaining to the Wages Policy Task Force (WPT). The submission is with the WPT secretariat and the union has been advised that the submission will be considered by the WPT during their next review of submissions. There is no time frame as to when this might occur.
Your union is committed to consulting details of the current award review with members as soon as possible. As such, the union met with RFS management on the 12 and 26 November to begin the development of a communications strategy and associated scenarios of how award conditions could work. This will be the basis for members to provide informed feedback.
The PSA has become aware of rumours circulating about the loss of conditions, such as the ACA. The rumours are misinformed, out of context and should not be given any attention. The union is for the protection of workers’ rights and conditions and it is the union’s experience that such rumours are designed to create conflict between union members and undermine the process. The ACA is a complex allowance that covers multiple working conditions. It cannot simply be removed without adjusting working conditions additionally it cannot be simply increased given the requirements of the Government’s Wages Policy.
Your union has been and remains committed to working in our memberships best interests. To take an Award to the IRC by consent the PSA determines to do so via the mandate of its members. Non-members are unable to participate in a ballot. The PSA and its delegates put a lot of time and resources into these processes. It is only fair that those who pay membership fees are the ones entitled to vote.
We welcome other RFS employees to join at www.psa.asn.au/join.
A further update will be provided following the next meeting.