News Flash

Public Service Association members from Noarlunga Business Studies have been subjected to unfair decisions and unreasonable workloads. This situation has united members who are now making a stand.

The issues are common throughout TAFE SA and the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology(DFEEST). The Noarlunga office identified workload issues and were told that they will lose a worker to assist the Adelaide Business Studies unit. It is disappointing that the employer, aware of unreasonable workloads, chose to further exacerbate the issue by decreasing staffing levels. It is clear that the Department has not adequately protected it's employees from unreasonable workloads  and has breached the following clause of the 2010 Enterprise Agreement;

14. OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SAFETY AND WELFARE

14.4    In establishing and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment, an agency     will not require an employee to have an unreasonable workload in the ordinary         discharge of then employee’s duties.

Furthermore, the employer has attempted to relocate Noarlunga staff to other campuses in what seems to be a restructure. The Department has failed to notify the PSA, as "employee representatives", of the proposed change and subsequently breached the following clauses  of the 2010 Enterprise Agreement;

25. CONSULTATIVE PROCESSES

25.1.1     Consultation involves the sharing of information and the exchange of views between
    employers and persons or bodies that must be consulted and the genuine opportunity
    for them to contribute effectively to any decision making process.

25.1.2     Employers and Agencies consult in good faith, not simply advise what will be done.

25.1.3     It is an accepted principle that effective workplace relationships can only be achieved if     appropriate consultation between the parties occurs on a regular basis.

25.1.4     Workplace change that will affect a significant number of employees should not be
    implemented before appropriate consultation has occurred with employee
    representatives.




25.1.5     Employee representatives will be given the opportunity to adequately consult with the     people they represent in the workplace, in relation to any proposed changes that may
    affect employees’ working conditions or the services employees provide.

In response to this situation, members chose to challenge the department and unanimously passed the following resolution;

"We PSA members of Noarlunga Business Studies condemn the Department for it's lack of genuine intent to resolve the unreasonable workloads within our unit.

We further condemn the department for breaching the 2010 Enterprise Agreements Consultation Occupational, Health, Safety and Welfare clauses.

We demand that the department genuinely attempt to resolve the unreasonable workloads without further exacerbating them by removing staff from our area.

We demand that the Department cease all current attempts to relocate staff and to meet with the PSA to genuinely attempt to resolve our unreasonable workloads.

Failure to do so will result in members considering an Industrial Campaign."

The PSA is aware that these types of incidents are common throughout TAFE SA and DFEEST. It is important that members contact the PSA as soon possible once they become aware of potential workplace change, especially if the change may affect their employment conditions.

8 June 2010