Service NSW Award Update

Service NSW Award Update Bulletin July 2014 (PDF version)

Congratulations on your first Service NSW Award
Your Rights and Entitlements

History
When Service NSW first came into operation and was being populated, Service NSW staff transitioned from existing agencies/departments including RMS Registries, Birth, Deaths and Marriages or were employed from areas outside the Public Sector.

During this period your conditions of employment were covered by an interim determination while a specific Service NSW award was being negotiated. This protected your conditions until an agency specific award was made.

Award Negotiations for a New Service NSW Award
As a new and emerging area of the public sector it is imperative to have a collective industrial instrument that enshrines your working conditions and maintains the conditions members had access to if they transitioned from another area of the Public Sector.

During the establishment of Service NSW PSA delegates and industrial officials negotiated your award. The negotiations progressed slowly (as is often the case when awards are being negotiated for new areas) and after 18 months the award, while making progress, was not finalised.

Need to give members certainty
Your interim determination was due to expire and without reaching agreement for a new Award, your employment conditions may have been in doubt.

To ensure members’ conditions continued to be protected and to give PSA members certainty your union sought your feedback by:

• sending the draft award to members so you could look over it; and
• asking you to vote on the new award.

The results were overwhelmingly in favour of the new award with members who voted all voting ‘yes’.

Making of the new Service NSW Award
To finalise the Service NSW Award your union went to the Industrial Relations Commission of NSW to make the Award. As a result of this process, your new award was made. The name of your award is, the Service NSW (Salaries and Conditions) Employees Award 2014, and this instrument protects your conditions and ensures that you get the current Public Sector pay rises.

Conditions in the new award
The Service NSW (Salaries and Conditions) Employees Award has been made for one year and includes the following:

• Rostering for a 9 day fortnight
• Sick Leave
• Annual Leave
• Overtime and Allowances
• Provides for the establishment of the Joint Consultative Committee todiscuss issues of concern
• Contains the current Public Sector pay rises

Leave Reserved
Included in the award is a Leave Reserved Clause (Clause 41) that outlines the process whereby the employer and/or the PSA can make an application to include Sunday work at contact centres.

Members can be assured that your union would not seek to apply to have this included (unless members are consulted and wanted it) however there may be an instance where Service NSW may want to include it and apply to have it included. Your union will consult with members in affected areas if this occurs.

Service NSW Expansion
The next phase of Registries transitioning to Service NSW has recently been announced. While this does not directly impact your award it may need to be varied to account for any new classifications. If this is the case your union will keep you informed.

What Next?
Your award runs for 12 months and negotiations for the next one will commence in early 2015.