News

SitRep 25/2021

May 28, 2021

• Award Update
• PAD
• FBEU Shop Open

Award Update

We will be in the Industrial Relations Commission next week for our Award claims.

As well as our claim for a 2.5% pay increase, our application incorporates the member-endorsed log of claims. You can read SitRep 9/2021 for more detail on this.

Since our last update, we have continued to look at ways of progressing some issues with FRNSW without the need for changes to the Award and will participate in conciliation through the IRC on Monday 31 May 2021.

We then have a hearing set for 2-4 June 2021 before the full bench who will hear our evidence along with that of FRNSW.

The decision to award public sector workers a meagre 0.3% wage increase despite their crucial role throughout the pandemic last year was an absolute slap in the face. Members deserved far better than this and so we decided to file an Award application with a special wage case focus. It’s meant this Award round has been different from previous ones.

The Awards and its contents will be decided by the IRC following next week’s hearings. Though we won’t know the decision for some time, once made it is binding.

We can all be proud that this Award round has been member led in a way we haven’t seen before. A working group made up of Executive, State Committee, Sub-Branch Exec and Staff came together to guide the work, members told us what mattered to them in the survey, and a log of claims was drafted then endorsed by the membership.

Following the recent Union election, we looked at taking our Award claims to the membership for your further input but unfortunately that wasn’t an option as the claims had already been lodged.

Members will also be present next week to provide evidence in support of our claims and I want to thank those that put their hand up to do this along with everyone who has engaged with and contributed to this process.

We’ll keep you updated as soon as we have more information.

PAD

In SitRep 22/2021 we reported the IRC’s decision on the PAD dispute which confirmed our position that the work involved in the program was essentially new work and an extra claim under the previous Award. The decision encouraged both parties to commence proper discussions around the PAD program.

Following this, FRNSW wrote to us seeking initial discussions and in an act of good faith, we met with them this week to hear what they had to say. FRNSW indicated that they wanted to put the PAD program on the table, acknowledging that it was new work and that proper consultation was required.

We took the opportunity to again highlight the key issues around this work including:

• Work value and remuneration
• Lack of ability to triage/identify PAD calls
• Impact on members’ mental health
• Appropriate training and equipment

FRNSW acknowledged these as legitimate issues and indicated that they were open to exploring them should we agree to commence discussions.

More to follow.

FBEU Shop Open

The FBEU Shop is now open! The merchandise includes hoodies, hooded towels and hats either manufactured in Australia or ethically sourced where this isn’t possible and ECA accredited.

FBEU t-shirts are separately available through Union Office to ensure that they are for members.

In Unity,

Shane Kennedy

State Secretary

You can download this SitRep here.