Landcom Payrise and Bargaining Update 30 June 2008

The PSA has been meeting with Landcom to discuss pay increases and updating your conditions of employment since late 2007.

Landcom have been told by the Public Sector Workforce Office (PSWO) that they are subject to the NSW Wages Policy which essentially prohibits them from talking to us until they have developed "negotiating parameters" which then require approval at several levels.

The PSA has long held concerns with both the process and content of the NSW Wages Policy which restricts your employer's ability to negotiate freely and directly with your union. What's more it requires "efficiency savings" in exchange for any payrise above 2.5%.

Given that Sydney CPI in the March 2008 quarter was at 3.9% and the Wage Price index to March 2008 quarter was 4.1%, the policy is redundant. Furthermore, the PSA rejects the notion that staff have to pay for their own pay rise by trading off conditions for pay.

Consequently, in an effort to progress the wage negotiations the PSA notified a dispute in the Industrial Relations Commission.

Industrial Relations Commission

The PSA and Landcom will be meeting today to discuss the parameters and to try to negotiate agreement. The PSA will be doing everything it can to get staff at Landcom a pay rise as soon as possible.

Should negotiations fail, the matter is scheduled to be back in the Commission on the 22nd of July 2008.

PSA Staff