In a recent win for Council employees, the United Services Union (USU) has successfully intervened in a new Salary System implementation at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (PMHC), leading to pay rises for Council Employees.
Biosecurity Officer Matt Bell
The issue began with the implementation of a new salary system at PMHC, which saw the use of inaccurate benchmarking, leading to inequitable pay grades for several staff members. Staff presented their concerns to Council but were often left unheard, leading to many members approaching the local organiser, stating that their positions had been unfairly evaluated. Acting on concerns raised by its members, the USU formally wrote to PMHC, expressing serious doubts about the integrity of the evaluation process.
The Council acknowledged that not every role had been properly assessed during the rollout of the new system and in response, PMHC committed to a transparent re-evaluation process, giving employees the opportunity to have their positions fairly reassessed.
Using the Mastertek evaluation system, six roles with multiple staff in each role were successfully re-evaluated, and each of these reviews resulted in an increase in salary – further validating the USU’s initial concerns. Among the staff affected was Biosecurity Officer Matt Bell, who, prior to the re-evaluation, was set to earn less than the junior colleagues he was mentoring. Matt was extremely grateful for the USU’s assistance in this matter, and for making him feel more valued at the workplace.
If it wasn’t for the USU’s intervention, people like Matt may have never had their voices heard, and as such, would not have known they were eligible for a review or an increase. This result shows the importance of having strong representation in the workplace, as the 300 strong members within this Council were quick to spread the word.
The USU continues to support council staff across the state, ensuring they are aware of their rights and award conditions. Through advocacy, education, and direct action, the union remains a critical safeguard for fairness and equity in local government workplaces.
Pictured above: Matt Bell (Biosecurity Officer)
