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NEW PROFESSIONAL STRUCTURE ENTERPRISE BARGAINING 2006
Improvements to the Work Level Definitions have been negotiated by the PSA to ensure increased promotional opportunities and improvements in pay for PSA members. A confirming letter from Public Sector Workforce Relations is here Revised Work Definitions for Professional Officers, Medical Scientists and Government Funded Scientists are also available. As members were previously advised the Government Enterprise Bargaining offer included a new structure for those employees currently employed in the Professional Services Stream (PSO) of the SA Public Sector Salaried Employees (Interim) Award and in the Medical Scientists (SA Government) Award. The salary increases involved in this new structure were explained in a brief to members dated 11 October 2006 (available on the PSA website - Newsflash). The translation from the current structure to the proposed new structure is also on the PSA website (Newsflash, EB Offer received, 5 October 2006) as is the complete 120 page Government offer. From pg 65 of the offer are the proposed new WORK LEVEL DEFINITIONS “subject to further discussion”. The Government's intention is for these to replace (override) the work level definitions contained in the Awards and for the other current classification criteria, eg the Position Information Documents (PIDs) and Career Group Definition (Career Group 1- 5) contained in the Professional Services Stream Classification Manual to be rescinded by the Commissioner for Public Employment (CPE). Thereafter classification of all Professional Stream and Medical Scientists positions will be against the new Work Level Definitions in the 2006 Enterprise Agreement. As part of the ongoing consultative process the PSA analysed and identified issues of concern in the draft Work Level Definitions and then proposed significant changes to Government. After consultation with Government, new draft Work Level Definitions were developed. After additional discussion today (16th November 2006) these were further refined. The PSA view is that the new draft Work Level Definitions are a considerable improvement and will allow for Professional Officers to progress up a skills related career path. The Work Level Definitions allow for promotion and reclassification on the basis of being either:
The definitions will now state that the first level of management is at the third classification level, ie Managers commence as either PO3 or MeS3 plus paid an annual $1750 managerial loading. Advanced Practitioners will be classified at level 2. More Advanced Practitioners at level 3, and Senior Professional Practitioners at level 4. Progression on the basis of specialisation is now also accommodated. Senior Professional Specialist is classified at level 4. Senior employees can, as always, progress above level PO5 into executive positions. The PSA considers that these revised definitions reflect the intention that qualified and competent professionals should progress from Level 1 to Level 2 and beyond by classification or reclassification on the basis of increased skills, knowledge, and expertise. This should be as a result of management initiated reclassifications and processes for this to occur need to be developed in agencies and Health Units. The option for individuals to seek personal applications for reclassifications is still available.
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