Roster Changes/JCCC Update
Recently, your delegates met with Radio Operations Group (ROG) management to discuss issues raised by members.
It has been proposed by ROG management to trial new strategies to alleviate rostering issues. These will be run for a trial *ONLY* at this stage, with feedback sought by members:
- Meal Breaks Changing from 50 minute meals, 30 minute cribs, to 60 minute meals, 20 minute cribs, to allow for easier organisation of breaks
- Swing being moved from the “swing week” to allow it to be before/after a three-shift block
- Variable full time shifts being more flexible – The command wants to trial shorter length days, and a mix of longer afternoons and nights to allow VFT staff to work in blocks, and having at least two clear full days off after a block of nights.
Workload (including merging of channels and high air time) was raised. It was again stated there were plans to fix these issues in the future (with more staff passing training), but no short-term solutions were offered. No solution was offered for staff struggling with immense workloads, and ROG management stated officer safety is largely in the hands of the police in the field, and radio operators are mostly there to broadcast jobs.
It was raised that the “six-week feedback” is not working across all centres, and is being used as a performance-management tool, not a welfare tool. The ROG Commander has assured us that this will be looked into and supervisors will be given proper training on welfare talks. We asked for both parts to be separated (welfare and performance), with no agreement from ROG command.
PSA delegates John Hughes and Michael Petersen are taking concerns of the Radio Advisory Group to the QA forum. If you have specific concerns or questions, feel free to reach out to them.
A suggestion was made that having a second phone login to allow Comms centres to take calls from ESOs, Police Stations and other agencies would be beneficial, and the response was that Sydney Trains (for example) need to ring 000 for emergencies, and 131 444 for all other calls.
The meeting was productive and we look forward to the roster trial.
If you have questions, feedback, or want to get more involved, please contact your local delegate or PSA staff – and if you have colleagues who are not part of the PSA, forward this on to them to show them that we are actively working to improve conditions within the ROG command.
Your Delegates
John Hughes Penrith
Sharon Watkins Tamworth
Michael Petersen Sydney
Bree Bell Newcastle
Trish Kudric Oak Flats