Crown Lands, Nowra workloads dispute

Executive, 28 April 2008

Report adopted

Members at the Nowra office of Crown Lands gave notice to the Department last November that they wished two vacant positions of a clerical support nature in the office to be filled by 1 February 2008, and that they would consider industrial action if they were not.

The Department as a result made statements indicating that action was being taken to fill these positions. However they remained vacant, and indeed it appeared that no recruitment action had been taken in their regard on 1 February.

As a result, members at the Nowra office met on 14 February and resolved to take industrial action. By PSA Direction dated 18 February, members refused to staff the office counter and/or act in any way as office receptionist, collect and/or open any mail received at the office, bank any money received at the office, perform any "searches", or respond in any way to "Ministerials" or any requests for "Briefing Notes".

On 19 February the Department informed the PSA that an advertisement for one Departmental Officer, General Scale position at Nowra will be published in the Public Service Notices on 27 February, and asked the PSA to lift its work bans. Members rejected this offer as being unsatisfactory, in the light of previous indications from the Department that both a Grade 1/2 position and a General Scale position at Nowra would be filled by 1 February, and the mounting backlog of work they are continuing to face.

On 7 March the Department made a further offer to review workloads in the office, and to employ a contractor to fulfil the duties of Departmental Officer, General Scale, until a permanent appointment is made to that newly advertised position. The PSA was again asked to lift its work bans. This offer was again rejected by members as being inadequate.

Current Position

The Director General of the Department then met with the PSA on 3 April, to discuss the matter. As a result of this meeting, a proposal was negotiated whereby a permanent appointment to the position of Departmental Officer, General Scale would be made as soon as possible, in the meantime a contractor had been employed and would continue to be employed after any permanent appointment and until a review of workloads has been conducted and its results discussed further with the PSA.

The PSA's members at Crown Lands, Nowra, resolved to accept this proposal and as a result all work bans have been lifted.

A permanent appointment to the position of Departmental Officer, General Scale, at Nowra, has now been made, and all current temporary employees (or contractors) have been retained there. The outcome of the Department's review of workloads is awaited.

In the meantime, members employed at the office of Crown Lands at Goulburn have asked the Department to fill two vacant positions of Departmental Officer, General Scale, there, by 1 June. A response is awaited.