News Flash

Members were advised in the Public Service Association (PSA) Brief of 30 May 2011 that the PSA had referred to the Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) the dispute with Country Health SA (CHSA) over the requirement for members to advise by 31 May 2011 of their intentions after 30 June 2011. CHSA advised PSA that they had rescinded this requirement. CHSA would still like members to advise them of their preference and that this would not be binding. PSA supports CHSA in this but argued that members can only be asked to make informed decisions and there currently is insufficient information to be able to do this. PSA is concerned that there will not be sufficient information by 30 June 2011.

At the IRC hearing on Thursday 2 June 2011, the Commission was advised that CHSA had rescinded their instruction of 24 May 2011. The PSA also raised other issues of concern, including those in PSA's letter of dispute to Professor Moyes of 26 May 2011 and the previous letter dated 13 May 2011, (PSA Brief 12 May 2011) and also additional concerns including:

    a. the transfer of Long Service Leave entitlements for casual employees with     less than 7 years of service,
    b. transfer of entitlements back if redeployed by the SA Government after being     employed by the new Community Corporations,
    c. guarantees of re-employment.

The concept of a “honeymoon period” after 1 July 2011 was discussed at the IRC; i.e. that after the building and all the assets transfer to Community Control and the new Board is the employer, that employees seconded from CHSA cannot be expected to make any commitments until the new Industrial Agreement structure is in place. This will have implications for how long the full $15,000 incentive payment is available. The PSA has requested 2 years.

The PSA states that the guarantees sought to safeguard members' conditions and to underwrite their conditions if they elect to transfer are a State Government responsibility. Country Health SA cannot absolve itself by saying this will be the responsibility of the Community Corporations from 1 July 2011.

The PSA has written to the Minister for Health, the Hon. John Hill seeking such guarantees.

7 June 2011