Central Coast Council Concedes Before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission
The USU was pleased to advise our USU members that Central Coast Council conceded before the New South Wales Industrial Relations Commission and accepted that our USU Members will have access to multiple salary progression steps as contemplated by the Award, previous Commission Orders and Council’s own Salary Progression Framework.
This is an important victory for our USU Members after the USU commenced proceedings before the NSW Industrial Commission to ensure a salary progression system was implemented in accordance with the Award. The USU fought to ensure salary progression would be based on the acquisition and performance of skills, rather than arbitrary management decisions. The USU returned to the Commission when Council attempted to limit progression outcomes and failed to deliver a process consistent with the Award and previous Commission decisions. The USU continued to hold Council accountable until Council was forced to concede its position before the Commission. Throughout these proceedings, Council sought to advance a position that would have effectively restricted employees to a maximum of one salary progression step every 12 months, and as a result of the USU’s actions that position has now been abandoned.
Council acknowledged before the Commission that employees may be eligible for multiple salary progression steps where they have acquired and are performing the skills associated with each progression step, consistent with:
- The Local Government Award;
- Previous NSW Industrial Relations Commission Orders and
- Council’s own Salary Progression Framework.
This is a significant victory for fairness, transparency and proper recognition of workers’ skills and our USU member’s Award rights.
