News

SITREP 17/2015

May 7, 2015

Inside this issue:

• 24 hour shifts and roster flexibility – update #12

The joint FRNSW/FBEU guide on PCOS, alternative rosters and 24 hour shifts that has been under negotiation for the past month (see SITREPs 13, 14 and 15) was finally agreed this afternoon. A copy of these can be found by clicking here. The Department was understood to be posting it to the FRNSW intranet this afternoon also.

This new joint FAQ replaces the Department’s FAQ on these issues that was released mid-February, and the Union’s FAQ that was published with SITREP 7 on 27 February.

It’s not surprising that as an agreed document, the end result has gone the Department’s way on some points, and our way on others. It is important that members recognise that these new roster and PCOS arrangements are just that – new – and that many of them are subject to further review later this year. In the meantime, our joint FAQ has the obvious advantage over the previous two guides of being agreed between the Union and the Department, thereby hopefully avoiding any further confusion or disputation between members over these new flexible roster arrangements.

It is simply not possible for an FAQ to cover every scenario on issues like this, however we’ve attempted to cover most of them. If you have a question that you think has not been answered by the FAQ then look again, because chances are that the answer is in there somewhere. Otherwise, and as always, an answer is only a phone call or email to the Union office away.

Finally, the joint FAQ will be updated (provided the Department agrees) as and when need be, so if you do have a roster or PCOS-related question that you think needs answering and that isn’t covered by the FAQ, please let us know.

 

John Henry
Senior Vice President and Acting State Secretary

For a printable copy of this SITREP click here