The PSA has today been provided with a copy of the report 'Review of the Office for the Commissioner for Public Employment'.

Despite today's 'Advertiser' report, that the main impact was only on Executives, the recommendations in the report are significant for all Public Sector Workers.

A detailed analysis is being undertaken, but initial concerns include the following:

Employment Conditions

Recommendation 17 provides that 'The Chief Executive shall be responsible and accountable for the recruitment and remuneration of all employees, including Executives, to their respective administrative unit'. This recommendation, when read in conjunction with recommendation 15 which states 'Review the number of determinations and their prescriptive tenor' raises the potential of different employment conditions and payments for individual Agencies.

Filling of Vacancies

Recommendation 21 provides that ' All vacancies (of duration of greater than 12 months) to be advertised in the external media'. This recommendation fails to recognise the often specialist nature of work required within Agencies. In addition, the process is likely to see a significant growth in the use of consultants to go through the potentially hundreds of applications for each job, despite the fact that the vast majority of applicants will have no real likelihood of successfully undertaking the work.

Job Security

While the media focused on Executives being employed on contracts, recommendation 32 provides that 'All non-Executive excess employees to receive a maximum of 12 months of intensive case management, after which they are discharged from the Public Sector with a Targeted Separation Package (TSP).' The word 'voluntary' is significantly missing from this recommendation. PSA believes that every effort should be made to place excess employees, but sees this recommendation as being inconsistent with the Premier's undertaking that there would be no forced redundancies. This is particularly significant when it is recognised that any employee could potentially become excess following Agency restructures.


The PSA has sought an urgent meeting with the Premier regarding the report and its implications.


 
    8 September 2004