Members may have noticed that In Orders no longer refer to GREAT when notifying of promotions and appointments. This is because from 1 July this year the operations and functions of GREAT were transferred to the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC). The GREAT Act was also repealed, with similar provisions for promotional and disciplinary appeals included in the Industrial Relations Act.
Members wishing to appeal a promotion or disciplinary decision can still do so, but will now apply to the IRC, not GREAT. Members are still required to appeal promotion decisions within 21 days of the appointment being published. Check the Union’s website (see Union Guides) for more information.
LSV’s – is the sky really falling?
Further to SITREP 32/2010, the Department has now relocated 85’s LSV to Bateau Bay and commenced the transition from permanent to alternate duties staffing. Unfortunately, this transition has not been as smooth as we had hoped, leaving members at the remaining LSV stations understandably confused and angry. Perhaps we should have seen that the Dept was going to stuff the implementation of this up, but the reality is that the Union can’t do all of their work for them all of the time.
We’ve already intervened once to ensure that the 3 remaining GSA trucks’ areas are now divided up evenly in terms of station numbers. The Department has also agreed to our request for guidelines on the staffing and use of the LSVs, and we are now reviewing a draft document provided for our feedback. In the interim, members at LSV stations will have to carry on until the new system beds down, but as one Central Coast member recently noted on the Union forum:
‘What’s the issue? You can only do what you can do. If someone says “This must be at X station by X time” just say, I’ll do my best. Don’t bust a gut trying to get everything done. … don’t feel like you MUST do it all because NO ONE will pat you on the back if you do!’
The bottom line is that in future the trucks will not be staffed unless:
a) there are permanent members on suitable alternative duties available to do so; or
b) there is an emergency incident requiring the LSV’s attendance, in which retained members will be called in (as they do for any other incident).
If neither (a) nor (b) apply then the truck will be grounded until either (a) or (b) again applies. We do not expect that this will disadvantage members, but if events prove otherwise then we will revisit the issue.
Union Centenary and AGM on 21 October
Comrades are reminded of our celebration of 100 years of the FBEU on 21 October. This will be a huge event, with over 1000 FBEU members from around the state, both serving and retired, marching to a function at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in the Rocks. I am writing to all members this week about the event, so if you don’t receive your written invitation then the Union doesn’t have your correct address.
Inside this issue: