Transport for NSW bulletin – your award is finalised – 13 August 2015
Transport bulletin – your award is finalised – 13 August 2015 (PDF version)
Transport for New South Wales PSA members’ update 2015 – your award is finalised
Congratulations on your new award.
The Transport Service of New South Wales Salaries and Conditions of Employment Award 2015 has been finalised.
After an overwhelming endorsement from the membership, the PSA and other transport unions have consented to the award variation in the Industrial Relations Commission of NSW (IRC) on Thursday 13 August.
Key outcomes of the negotiations
- 12-month award
- 2.5% pay increase backdated to the first pay period on or after 1 July 2015
- Creation of new classification of workers for the CBD Taskforce (some 35-40 new positions in PSA-controlled areas of TfNSW)
- Increase in roster notice for shift workers
- Alignment of drug and alcohol provisions for on-call workers with police to be accompanied by an education campaign
- Removal of core hours (previously 9:30am-3:30pm) to a floating core
- Expansion of the bandwidth from 7:30am-6pm to 7am-7pm
- Strengthening of protections for employees working flexitime
- Potential for flexitime employees requested to work outside regular hours to be paid overtime in the bandwidth
- An improved clause and leave for domestic violence
- Definition of professional engineer to be inserted to reflect international standards
- Obligation for managers having staff act up whilst they are on leave to pay them the higher rate of pay (pro rata to the percentage of higher duties they are undertaking)
- Discussions over the life of the award surrounding:
- Salary package options for staff
- Strategies to increase the number of women engineers at TfNSW
- Strategies for career progression at TfNSW for Professional Engineers and technical professionals
- Professional Engineer classifications.
PSA members endorsement of award
Before the award could be finalised, the PSA and other transport unions sought endorsement from the membership. PSA members endorsed the agreement via a ballot/survey. The result was 97.6% of participating PSA members endorsing the award. The PSA was encouraged by number of members filling in the ballot/survey.
What was the finalisation process?
The award variation application was lodged by TfNSW in the IRC. As the award is a consent application, the PSA and other transport unions provided detail with respect to the ballot and member endorsement.
When will some of these changes take effect?
TfNSW has provided a commitment back pay will be made within two pay periods after the commencement of the award.
With regards to the flex-time applications, TfNSW has provided two effective dates being either 21 September or 19 October to coincide with flex-time settlement. Until that time and agreement, clauses 16, 17 & 22 will remain in effect from the previous award.
TfNSW PSA delegates on award negotiations
Your union acknowledges the hard work of PSA members who were part of the negotiation team. This was at extreme short notice and with considerable pressures placed upon the team to set aside their busy jobs. Your union would like to continue to build the activist pool for the next negotiations.
TfNSW – next award
TfNSW has flagged it may be seeking major changes with respect to the award in the next round of negotiations. These negotiations will potentially take place as early as January or February 2016. TfNSW has committed to an extensive education campaign regarding some of the changes.
TfNSW – what next?
Your union will be holding regular meetings with members to educate, engage and inform around matters of importance. Upcoming events will include listenings around performance management and the current TfNSW Reform Process.
What can you do?
- Give a copy of this bulletin to your colleagues
- Print this bulletin and put it on your noticeboard
- Ask a colleague to join the PSA
- Become a contact in your area
- Ask a colleague to attend the next PSA meeting with you
- Join the PSA here
