NEGOTIATIONS COMMENCED ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 13TH
The Industry Award parties, being the United Services Union, Depa, LGEA and the Employer’s Association LGNSW have exchanged their respective Award Log of Claims for the 2023 Award due to commence on July 1st 2023.
Your voice
The USU’s Log of Claims was drafted from various sources including from Branch and Conference motions submitted by USU Delegates and from 687 completed Award Log of Claims Surveys from USU members over the past 6 months.
As a result, the USU Award Log of Claims contains 23 claims, covering future annual award pay increases, as well as improved working conditions regarding allowances, rosters, hours of work, leave, training plans, appointment and promotion, redundancy payments and superannuation.
The USU Award claims seek to improve the working conditions of over 45000 workers employed in NSW Local Government, but in this Log of Claims we are seeking an additional Cost of Living Payment for Union Members ONLY to cover any difference between the eventual Annual Award Increases and CPI should CPI exceed the Award percentage increases.
Overwhelmingly the completed USU Member Award Surveys listed Cost of Living Increases as the priority, we have listened and will make this a priority during negotiations.
Should as expected, the Employer’s Association not come to a reasonable and acceptable position regarding future Award pay increases, we will be prepared to campaign, conciliate and if necessary, arbitrate to reach a satisfactory outcome.
The Employer’s Log of Claims (see summary below) contains a total of 25 items which as usual include their attempts to reduce conditions and to attack the hard fought for rights and conditions, as contained in your industry Award.
Each of these unreasonable and insulting attacks on the current working conditions of USU members will be covered in detail in future regular USU Award Updates, with the first to cover the attack on the 35-hour week as worked by indoor employees.
With the current high vacancy rate that employers are experiencing, the ridiculous and insulting list of claims from the Employer’s Association, in seeking to reduce and to undermine your working conditions is totally unacceptable.
Non-Union members need to be aware that it is only the Unions such as the USU who will be fighting not just to retain but to improve conditions and wages during these negotiations and it will only be Union Members who will vote on the outcome when negotiations, conciliation or arbitration has concluded.
The USU conducts around 350 mass meetings of members ONLY across NSW in every Council/Entity covered by the NSW Local Government State Award.
NON MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO JOIN THE USU & JOIN WITH US IN OUR FIGHT TO RETAIN AND IMPROVE WORKING CONDITIONS AND WAGES IN THE 2023- 2026 AWARD.
Employer’s Log of Claims
A summary of their attempt to undermine and reduce conditions include:
- Changes designed to reduce or remove the payment of various allowances.
- Increase all 35 hour per week positions to 38 hours per week.
- Reduce minimum payment for working on public holidays by removing the minimum 4 hours from some categories of employees.
- Reduce payment for public holidays for employees on half pay who are on annual or long service leave on half pay.
- Remove employer’s obligation to discuss job redesign at Consultative Committee meetings.
- Increase the use of term contracts.
- Change current Award grievance clause in an attempt to allow an excuse of reasonable management action.
- Reduce the 3 months’ notice of termination arising from technological change to 5 weeks.
- Seeks to limit Award wage increases by seeking to include a clause which refers to the employer’s capacity to pay.
