The advertisement of more LSO positions outside of Sydney, including in MW3 (Blue Mountains) has again caused some SOs to question why they are not eligible to apply. The answer is two-fold.
Management needs to be able to place LSOs where they’re needed – in this instance in MW3. If this position was open to all SOs rather than only those within MW3, and (say) an ME1 SO was successful, then he/she could not fill the position without jumping every SO on the MW3 transfer register.
LSO is still a Station Officer rank, in the same way that LF is still a firefighter rank. There are no SO vacancies at present within MW3, so if the LSO position was open to all SOs and an ME1 SO was successful then the Department would have to either (a) carry an extra SO in MW3 until one was promoted, transferred or retired, or (b) transfer one of the SOs already in MW3 back to the GSA.
The system was worked out over many months with all of these considerations in mind, but that’s not to say that it’s beyond review and suggestions for further improvements are welcome.
IMT on call = overtime
Inspectors and below (including OS) are reminded that you may not be placed on call for an IMT outside of your rostered hours of work unless you are paid overtime for the time spent on call.
Retained attending major incidents
Retained members are reminded that you must be notified if Clause 29, Attendance at Major Emergencies has been invoked by the Department before you attend, not afterwards. Failure by management to notify members in advance may result in Clause 29 not applying, in which case all time spent in attendance will be treated and paid as normal under Clause 6, including penalty rates.
Union Office Christmas – New Year shutdown
This time last year permanent members were on the verge of working the first 24 hour alternate roster, and a new annual leave roster that no longer started or ended leave groups in the middle of a set of shifts. Twelve months later, both of these huge reforms have been bedded down with, in hindsight, remarkably few problems. In between, we also negotiated new Retained and Permanent Awards.
There will be new challenges in 2016, not least MFR and health and fitness testing. As always, if we stay united these challenges can become opportunities for us to defend and improve our job.
The Union Office will close at midday today and re-open on Monday 4 January. Members requiring assistance over this time may contact a State Committee official – for details see www.fbeu.net/contact
On behalf of the Union’s officials, industrial and administrative staff, I wish all members and your families the compliments of the Season.
Jim Casey
State Secretary
For a printable copy of this SITREP, please click here
