Public Service Association (PSA) Worksite Representatives met on Wednesday 17th December 2008 to raise and discuss issues on behalf of members. To gain the most benefit from your union membership it is essential that members are active. An excellent way to be active is to become a Worksite Representative and attend these meetings. Members are encouraged to contact their Worksite Representative to pass on any information or details of that they would like raised at these PSA Worksite Representative Meetings. Here is a brief description of what issues were raised and discussed; 

Industrial Officer Report & Agenda Items:

• Public Sector Bill and Upper House Referendum
  2008 saw the introduction of the Public Sector Bill to Parliament. This Bill proposes to increase the delegational powers of Chief Executives' "hire and fire" powers, remove the Grievance and Appeal Tribunal which both can limit or remove members rights and entitlements. One positive is the removal of a minimum period of performing higher duties to be paid at the higher rate. The PSA will be lobbying the Opposition and Minor Parties to make Amendments in the Upper House.
• Learning Resource Centre(LRC) Review
  The LRC Review is at the end of Phase one, reviewing and rewriting Job and Person Specifications as well as reviewing their classifications. The results of phase one should have been communicated to LRC members prior to Christmas. The new year will progress into phase two, which will focus on organisational structures of LRC's.
• Skills Shortage
  Skills Shortages continue to threaten the Public Service. They impact on staffing, recruitment and retention of skilled and qualified workers and negatively impacts on members workloads. It is important to report to the PSA Industrial Officer any area that has current vacancies, lack of or no training opportunities, areas where knowledge retention is at risk(age demographic) and what types of skills/expertise are at risk of being lost.
• 2009 Enterprise Bargaining
  The PSA will soon be seeking member feedback to develop the 2009 Enterprise Bargaining claim. Members are strongly encouraged to provide this feedback.
• Skills Reform and subsequent Reviews
  The TAFE SA Marketing, DFEEST Communications, TAFE SA International and the TAFE Secretariat business units are being reviewed as part of the Skills Reform Agenda. The PSA has agreed to Human Resource Principles that will protect members' rights during these reviews. The Department has agreed to ensure that the PSA is notified and that adequate consultation will occur during these reviews.
• Changes to Hospitality
  The Department apologised for the manner in which the news of changes to the Hospitality unit at Adelaide Campus were released and will be developing a Communication Protocol to ensure appropriate consultation occurs. The Department also stated that TAFE SA was not being privatised and Cordon Bleu was not moving or being sold.
• Flexitime
  A number of members reported that management is changing their existing flexitime arrangements/schemes without consultation. Simply advising what will be done is a breach of the Consultation clauses in the 2006 Enterprise Agreement. Furthermore, members questioned the ruling on "core times"(set by a Flexi scheme) versus "core hours"(set by Commissioner Circular and attached to the 2006 EA through the Memorandum of Understanding) that would prevent them from taking part day flexis. It is important that members are not disadvantaged and that any Flexi arrangements are consistently applied to all employees. Contact your Industrial Officer or Worksite Representative should you require any assistance or advice.
• Proposed Changes to new AS0 contracts
  The PSA responded to the Department, reiterating its point for appropriate remuneration for any worker on these types of contracts and was given assurances that no existing employee would be forced, placed under duress or coerced into changing contracts. Negotiations continue.
• Institute Consultative Committees
  It is important that members utilise and participate in Institute Consultative Committees. These are information forums where workers and management can raise issues, ideas and proposals at a local level and are a great way of ensuring consultation occurs with the workforce. Please contact your Industrial Officer or Human Resources for more information.

PSA WORKING FOR ALL MEMBERS IN TAFE SA & DFEEST