On Thursday 28 August were hold the DoHA National Staff Participation Forum and your representatives talks on your behalf about issues you have said matters to you the most: jobs cuts and workloads, bullying and harrasment, travel and hotel network accomodation.
Staff cuts and workloads:
Your representatives raised the issue of the ongoing management of staff cuts, redeployment and resulting workload issues as a result of the efficiency dividend.
As business-planning activities are under way within each Division, we promoted the importance of genuine staff consultation around work to be retained or dropped.
Your union raised concerns around OHS and potential bullying, arising from the recent CPSU workload survey. The survey indicated 75% of respondents have recently experienced staff cuts in their work area as well as increased workloads, and that lunch breaks have been reduced considerably. Qualitative data indicated remaining staff are “absorbing” the work of positions made redundant.
We referred to a commitment made to the NSPF by the Secretary that there would be staff consultation on workloads and priorities.
We suggested that Business Group has a leadership role in promoting staff consultation about workloads across the Department. CPSU will provide a paper to Business Group, for the Executive’s consideration, outlining these concerns and seeking genuine staff consultation on functions staff will not be performing. Ask your Branch Head how you can make input to Divisional business planning.
Bullying and harassment:
Your representatives followed up the delivery of the Respect Campaign across the Department and training to the Executive Levels. Management indicated this campaign would be rolled out by Division and tailored to local needs, but did not indicate a time frame. We followed up discussion at the last NSPF meeting on a working group to research and develop recommendations on best practice prevention and management of workplace harassment claims. CPSU will liaise further with People Branch in this regard.
Travel and Hotel Network accommodation:
Your staff reps continue to raise concerns about the Hotel Network and access to quality accommodation in regional and remote areas. The Hotel Network commission reduces staff access to travel allowance entitlements. Our position remains that staff access to the full TA rate excludes the Hotel Network commission, and quality accommodation should be provided of at least a 3.5 star rating that meets OHS standards. The Department of Finance and Deregulation is developing a whole of government procurement policy for accommodation and more information will be provided to the next NSPF meeting.
Other issues discussed included finalisation of a revised DoHA Health and Safety Management Agreement, PDS Online Guidelines, Comcare insurance cover of work related activities in conjunction with lunch breaks, IT systems performance, remote localities allowance and the Central Office accommodation project.
The next NSPF meeting will be held on 20 November 2008. We have asked for an update on COAG reforms and implications for the Department and our staff. If you have any queries or comments on the above, please contact Wendy Backhous, Rebecca Shumack, Louis Larcan or Helen Stone.
