Woollahra Council recently developed a new salary system designed to create greater consistency across the workforce.
However, the USU identified a major concern.
Under Council’s original proposal, employees who received a rating of “Meets Expectations” would only be able to progress to Step 4 of their grade. To reach Step 5 and access the highest salary available for their position, workers would have been required to receive an “Exceeds Expectations” rating.
The Union argued this was unfair.
Employees who consistently perform their role well and meet all requirements should be able to progress through their salary grade. Workers should not have to be considered exceptional simply to access the full salary range attached to their position.
The USU raised these concerns at an Extraordinary Consultative Committee meeting and followed up with a formal letter to Council, arguing that the proposal was inconsistent with the salary progression requirements of the Local Government (State) Award.
The result? Council agreed to remove the requirement.
When the new salary system is introduced in July 2026, employees who receive a rating of “Meets Expectations” will still be able to progress to the top of their grade.
This is an important win for Woollahra members. Without Union intervention, some workers could have found themselves permanently locked out of the highest pay step for their role.
