TAFE NSW Support staff Enterprise Bargaining Update

TAFE NSW Support staff Enterprise Bargaining Update – March 2016 (PDF version)

Enterprise bargaining

Your bargaining team met with TAFE NSW and other unions on Friday, 26 February 2016. This was after a full day of a small working group to test the draft Work Level Standards. The PSA (CPSU) wants to ensure all staff know where they sit in any new classification system. The comprehensive testing of the draft Work Level Standards will provide this information.

Weekly hours of work

TAFE NSW previously tabled its claim for all staff to move to a 36 1/4-hour week. The PSA (CPSU) has continued with our claim all staff should be on the normal 35-hour week. TAFE NSW has agreed to look at the costings associated with the NSW Government’s Wages Policy which the union estimates to be no more than 0.1%.

Rostered Days Off

The PSA (CPSU) continued with our demands to ensure those current employees who have Rostered Days Off (RDOs) will be able to continue to enjoy them. In the previous proposal by TAFE NSW, employees with RDOs would have moved to Flextime. This would result in employees rostered to work additional hours, with no right to take the time off, unless rostered. Rostering time off would then be optional.

The PSA (CPSU) continues to claim a right to have RDOs for employees, who currently work rostered hours and/or shift work targeted towards those who currently have RDOs. TAFE NSW has indicated it would agree to this and the PSA (CPSU) will continue to fight to protect your RDOs.

Temporary employment

The PSA (CPSU) has seen a large increase in the use of temporary employment in TAFE NSW across the whole organisation. Many of these contracts should not be temporary and the PSA (CPSU) is currently challenging some of these proposed positions. The PSA (CPSU) is demanding changes to the categories of temporary employment contracts. This would make TAFE NSW look at increased permanent employment and more secure work for PSA (CPSU) members.

Temporary employment can only be used for the following reasons:

for the duration of a specified task or project

carry out the duties of a position that is temporarily vacant

provide additional assistance in a particular work area

in connection with the secondment or exchange of staff

to undertake a traineeship or cadet-ship

or similar.

These will generally be for less than two years and if an employee reaches two years they may be eligible for conversion. Are you currently on a temporary contract? Have you worked for TAFE NSW as a temporary for more than two years? If you have, please contact the PSA (CPSU) and report this so we can include as many long-term temporary employees as possible.

Part-year employment

As reported in the last update, there has been a massive increase in the use of part-year employment over the last decade in TAFE NSW, from around 150 part-year employees, to at least 640 part-year employees, both part-time and full-time.

This is not acceptable and many of you have reported to the PSA (CPSU) you believe your position is not genuinely part-year, or that it could be redesigned to be full-year. This increase in part-year employment has been made with temporary employees providing a very insecure form of employment for hundreds of workers.

Employees who report they are part-year

81% reported they are in insecure employment, such as temporary or casual

82% reported they work in regional NSW locations

90% reported they work at a large- or medium-sized campus

67% believe their work is genuinely part-year

67% indicate their work could be redesigned to become full-year.

Employees who report they are temporary

86% are from regional NSW

97% would like to be in permanent employment

10% believe their current work will not continue for more than 12 months.

Permanent employees

86% report they do not believe their work would be part-year

62% reported they would leave TAFE NSW instead of working part-year.

The PSA (CPSU) continues to claim to have as many temporary part-year employees converted to permanent as possible. However, we also need to make sure TAFE NSW does not exploit part-year employment and convert current full year positions into part year positions. Unfortunately, we are already seeing this happen.

While we need to ensure current long-term temporary employees can convert to permanent employment, even if it is part-year. We need to make sure that full-year employees are not converted to part-year.

The PSA (CPSU) wants your feedback on how you would like your permanent part-year positions managed. There are a range of possibilities in how we can provide for part-year employment and the union wants to make sure members are protected and have the flexibility and options they want.

Are you part-year?

Please complete this survey and let us know how you would prefer your part-year position managed.

The PSA (CPSU) claims for part-year employees will be based on your feedback, so make sure you let us know.

Your PSA (CPSU) bargaining reps

Leon Parissi – Sydney Institute

Brook Down – North Coast Institute

Brad Cowie – Illawarra Institute

Christophe Hobbins – Riverina Institute

Glenda Pryor – Western Sydney Institute

For general feedback contact:

Leon Parissi

Brook Down

Blake Stephens

PSA (CPSU) staff – TAFE bargaining

Blake Stephens

Phoebe Dangerfield

Nathan Bradshaw

Ian Lambert