Transport for NSW In-Principle Agreement – July 2017 (PDF version)

Transport For NSW Salaries And Conditions Of Employment Award 2017

Member ballot

After intense negotiations with Transport for NSW (TfNSW) over the past few months, the PSA and other Transport unions have secured an in-principle agreement with for a new two-year Award. See HERE for a copy of the proposed Award.

The new award will provide a 2.5 per cent increase to salaries as of 1 July 2017 and another 2.5 per cent increase to salaries as of 1 July 2018. Other notable changes include:

The Creation of a Change Management Framework [clause 8.5]

TfNSW will be obliged to work with unions to create an agreed Change Management Framework that will standardise and regulate the way employees are treated during restructures.

This framework will standardise timeframes for consultation, and will allow unions and employees to present alternative proposals that minimise the negative impacts on the workforce. This framework will also detail the types of support impacted employees will be provided.

Under the Award, once this policy is finalised it cannot be altered for two years, and only via consultation after that time.

Conversion of temporary employees to permanent [clause 14]

Temporary employees will automatically become permanent after two years (unless engaged for a specified project or as part of an entry-level program). In addition, any temporary employee can be made permanent after one year if certain criteria are met. This will provide greater security for employees, and will help to address the over-use of temporary staff in TfNSW.

Obligation to seek to utilise existing employees before using contractors/labour hire [clause 15]

TfNSW management will be obliged to look internally at the available skills and capabilities of employees before outsourcing work to contractors or labour hire. This clause is designed to reduce TfNSW’s extremely high use of contingent labour, and places a clear obligation on TfNSW to better utilise their internal workforce. This will lead to better job security and improved developmental and other opportunities for TfNSW employees.

Strategic workforce planning [clauses 13 & 8.3]

TfNSW management will also be obliged to develop and implement workforce planning solutions that maximise direct permanent employment and retain the valued knowledge, experience and skills of existing employees.

Local arrangements [clause 10]

The Award will now allow for local arrangements to be developed that apply to a group within the organisation. Any local arrangements would have to be agreed to by the employer and every union that is party to the Award.

PSA recommendation

As the proposed award provides a number of improvements without any trade-offs of conditions, the PSA together with TfNSW Delegates endorse the agreement.

As part of the democratic processes within your union, PSA members in RMS have a vote whether to accept or decline the proposed award. It is important to note non-members have no say in the Award-acceptance processes.

If members vote to agree to endorse the new Award, it will be filed in the Industrial Relations Commission. After this we expect that the new Award will commence and that your pay will increase by 2.5 per cent (backdated to first pay period after 1 July 2017) within the next three weeks.

The ballot is to take place via Survey Monkey and all responses are to remain confidential.

Click HERE to enter the survey.

The PSA encourages all members to take the two minutes to vote in this ballot.