2018 Election of the State Committee
Voting closes Thursday
Tathra review – update #1
As flagged in Sitrep 11, the urgent FSJSC meeting requested by the Union on 22 March was finally held last Wednesday morning and, as expected, the Committee rejected the Union’s proposal for a joint submission to the Keelty review. More productive was our meeting later that day with Mr Keelty himself, who is due to deliver his preliminary report to the Government by 7 May. More to follow then.
Recalls and kilometres – update #3
Further to our previous reports on this issue in Sitreps 3, 4,6 and most recently, Sitrep 11, there is both good news and not so good news. The good news is that at a meeting yesterday the Department conceded that the Union’s advice in Sitrep 3 was correct, and that members claiming residential priority must be paid recall kilometres from the closest permanently-staffed station to their residence rather than their own station. The not so good news is (1) that management has not yet agreed to pay members for incorrect recall kilometre payments back to November 2014, when the new subclause 9.8 took effect and (2) there is still no indication of if or when the trial of the new e-Recall system will ever commence. The Department has undertaken to confirm its position on the backpay, in writing, within a fortnight so a further (and we expect final) update will follow then.
Transfers to the GSA
Today’s Commissioner’s Orders 2018/08 includes a new Transfers to the GSA policy for permanent members up to and including the rank of Inspector which replaces In-Order 2006/2’s Appointment Guidelines for the allocation of unfilled Country Station Officer and Inspector positions.
The new policy was agreed last Friday between the Union and Department following several months of discussions with senior officer members and negotiations with management, and IRC conciliation proceedings over the past fortnight. It preserves the right of existing regional Station Officers and Inspectors to return to the GSA on the 10/14, but makes it clear that transfer to the GSA or elsewhere by all future appointees to regional positions, current and future Operational Support Inspectors and Special Roster Relieving Inspectors (new positions that were advertised in Orders 2018/07) will be by successful application for an advertised vacancy, or by request after 2 years with a reduction in rank.
The agreed policy is a welcome development that finally clarifies the operation of, and relationship between, the transfer and the promotional systems for permanent members.
2018 Election of the State Committee
Voting closes Thursday
Voting closes at 5pm this Thursday, so if your ballot has not already been posted then hand delivery to the Electoral Commission’s offices remains your last chance. The count will commence 9am Friday and assuming they are available, the results will be published in an election edition Sitrep 13 that afternoon.
Leighton Drury
State Secretary
For a printable copy of this Sitrep, please click here.
