Your Union has dealt with quite a number of matters over the past 12 months at your Council.
Before we go through some of these matters the Union would like to thank our Delegates for all their hard work over the past 12 months, a particular mention must be made for Dave Scott who has worked tirelessly for members over the last 12 months.
Your Union has assisted a number of our members who have now left Council, some for a new career opportunity and others because they reached a point of disillusionment with Council that they could no longer bear. Those members who have left Council, left Council and the Shire with very large skills knowledge gaps which still remain. Their departure from Council has resulted in little progress being able to be made on projects for both Council and residents.
We wish them well in their futures.
The major matter that your Union has been dealing with is the protracted restructure that commenced back in late 2018, and continues to antagonise staff and the Union.
For the past 12 months the Union has had these matters in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission as disputes. The Union has been arguing with Council about getting correct position descriptions sorted out. We have had to argue the very slow progress of the introduction of OOSOFT, which we were given assurances from Council would have been finalised and in place earlier in the year, but that never happened!!
The Union has had a number of our members put in grievances relating to the correct grade for their positions, the re-evaluations carried out by Council were so poorly done that the Union was left with no alternative but to file a dispute in the Industrial Courts to seek their assistance.
The Union has had to argue and dispute some position descriptions that were being updated and re-graded. In one instance the position went down one grade level, despite additional skills and responsibilities being added to the position!! Members involved in this process voiced very loudly to the Union their anger that the evaluation system, in their view, was being manipulated by senior management to save Council money! In other cases the additions to the position descriptions were such that in practicable terms the actual requirements of the position could not be achieved by one person.
So our members can see the Union and our members have a big job in front of us for the balance of this year and into the New Year.
The Union encourages our members to:
- Have your position description updated
- Make sure you retain a copy of your old and new position description
- When the OOSOFT system is finally in place, do not attend any meeting where your position is going to be evaluated without a Union Delegate.
- If you are not sure that the information you are being given by Senior Management is correct, then check with your Union Delegate, do not think it will just be ok!!
The Union thanks our members for their support throughout the year, we encourage you to make sure that your workmate is also a union member.
If you have any further questions on this matter, please contact your delegate or your Organiser Rudi Oppitz on 0409 662 460 email roppitz@usu.org.au
