DPS - ballot to engage in protected action approved by the AIRC
30 July 2008, 1:01pm
The Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) approved a CPSU application on Friday 25 July to hold a ballot of all CPSU members employed in the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) to determine if members support the taking of industrial action to progress our claims in bargaining for your next agreement.
You may have seen a Notice from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)
displayed in your workplace that set out details relating to this ballot. The
Notice did not specify exactly where in Parliament House you must go to record
your vote. See below for details. A number of other unions are also conducting
ballots of their members at the same time and in the same location.
Where: Mural Hall, Level 2 When: 12-2pm Friday 1 August AND 12-1pm Monday 4 August.
Refreshments Provided
NB: Members doing interstate
committee work next week, make sure you vote this Friday!
Update on negotiations
More negotiations were held with DPS management on 29 July.
Pay: There has been some movement on the issue of pay. Last Friday DPS
advised that it was prepared to offer 4.6% in each year of the agreement. In
response to our concerns that the first pay increase would only commence when
the agreement comes into operation (early October), that is, no 1 July date of
effect or the prospect of payment of a sign-on bonus to compensate for the
delay, DPS offered a reconfigured pay offer of 4.8%; 4.5%; and 4.5%. Union and
employee representatives advised DPS that pay increases of 5%; 4.6% and 4.2%
would be required to ensure that DPS employees were in receipt of a first year
pay increase that delivered the equivalent of 4.6% over the full 12 months. We
are waiting for the DPS response.
Conditions: In relation to our claims for:
an allowance to be paid to Guides that conduct tours in a foreign
language, and
a ‘hazard identification’ allowance to Loading Dock employees, DPS
maintained that these employees are not required to perform such activities
so no allowance would be paid.
DPS will consider our claim for:
travel in support of parliament undertaken on a Sunday to be compensated
by access to flextime at double time
Parental Support Leave, and
flexible working hours for Executive Level 1 employees.
Until such time that we are able to resolve our concerns with the pay quantum
and address the above ‘sticking points’ in relation to conditions of employment,
the CPSU and other unions will proceed with our ballots on industrial action. We
are also conscious that DPS met with DEEWR yesterday and that DPS will be
required to present to DEEWR a proposed agreement for assessment against the
Government’s Bargaining Framework. We do not know if the involvement of DEEWR
will assist or impede the making of an agreement between the parties.
