The Union has filed an “interim” application for a new Permanent Award. This is not the Union’s full or final award claim. Extended conciliation of the Retained Award this week and the deployment of members to Victoria meant there simply wasn’t enough time to finish drafting and checking the claim approved by the State Committee, so a simple application (including $1,000 per week increases for all ranks) was filed today, the first day after the nominal conclusion of the 2011 Award’s term, in order that the final 2014 Award can take effect on and from today’s date.
The Union’s full and final claim will now be filed and posted to our website within the coming fortnight.
Retained award negotiations update #13
Further to SITREP 6/2014, conciliation before the IRC’s President Justice Walton continued this week, with the “availability” question now largely resolved and considerable progress made on the even more difficult issue of costings and funding. Unfortunately, I remain under advice to refrain from reporting on the details of these proceedings before conciliation has concluded and the details have been confirmed. Conciliation resumes next week, so more to follow in SITREP 8.
Casual USAR Instructors update#1
Further to SITREP 6/2014, this dispute returned this week to the IRC where the Department agreed that (a) Area Commanders could not withhold their endorsement from any application submitted, (b) the successful applicants will be the most meritorious and positions will not be reserved for so-called “development opportunities”, and (c) that all Award entitlements will be paid.
The Department then went onto say that it does not believe that Clause 26 entitlements apply to Operational Support positions. This will no doubt come as a surprise to every OS position holder who has previously claimed and been paid under that clause. So another dispute looms. In the interim, successful applicants should claim all the entitlements they are due under Clause 26, and contact the Union if their claims are rejected.
Drug & Alcohol ID
Sanity prevailed this week when the Department agreed to provide all Drug & Alcohol contractors with appropriate FRNSW identification cards. We are assured that all contractors will now carry and produce these cards upon request.
If drug & alcohol contractors attend your workplace without FRNSW ID you may (and we suggest, should) refuse to undergo testing. As always, members seeking advice or assistance should contact their State Committee official or the Union office.
Inside this issue: