Chapter 6 – Managing Workplace Relations

Negotiating Awards and Agreements

In 2016-17, major activities included the renegotiation of the majority of State Service industrial instruments. In the past year the majority of negotiations for updated Agreements in the Tasmanian State Service have been finalised, with updated Agreements registered with the Tasmanian Industrial Commission.

Standard improvements have been implemented for employees covered by the newly registered Agreements and Awards, in areas like:

• parental leave;
• compassionate and bereavement leave;
• family violence leave;
• wages; and
• access to entitlements such as novated leasing.

These improvements on a whole-of-service level will ensure best practice entitlements are available to all Tasmanian State Service employees.

Employment groups covered include: all staff covered by the Tasmanian State Service Award (TSSA) and the Health and Human Services Award (HaHSA), Dental Officers, Nurses and Midwives, Allied Health Professionals, Ambulance Tasmania staff, Teachers (Department of Education and TasTAFE), Correctional Officers, Legal Practitioners, Tasmania Fire Service employees, and Visiting Medical Practitioners. Awards and Agreements negotiated included:

• The Public Sector Union Wages Agreement 2016, covering TSSA and HaHSA (excluding Dental Officer) employees;
• Allied Health Professionals Public Sector Union Wages Agreement 2016;
• Ambulance Tasmania Agreement 2016;
• AWU Public Sector Union Wages Agreement 2016;
• Correctional Officers Agreement 2016;
• Dental Officers Agreement 2016;
• Education Facility Attendant Salaries and Conditions of Employment Industrial Agreement 2016;
• Legal Practitioners Agreement 2016;
• Ministerial Drivers Agreement 2017;
• Nurses and Midwives (Tasmanian State Service) Agreement 2016;
• Port Arthur Historic Site Authority Agreement 2017;
• Radiation Therapists Agreement 2016;
• Tasmanian Fire Fighting Industry Employees’ Industrial Agreement 2016;
• Tasmanian Visiting Medical Practitioners (Public Sector) Agreement 2016;
• TasTAFE Teaching Staff Industrial Agreement 2017; and
• Teachers Agreement 2017.

Negotiations remain outstanding but nearing finalisation for Salaried Medical Practitioners. Negotiations are continuing for Police Officers.

Public Sector Industrial Relations Directors Conference

On 2 and 3 March 2017, Tasmania hosted the Public Sector Industrial Relations Directors Conference. Representatives from all jurisdictions attended and discussed a range of public sector industrial relations (IR) matters. Major items discussed included the ongoing development of a national IR online database (GovDex), and a comparison of wages policies across the states, territories and the Commonwealth.

Other Activities

SSMO continued to provide IR support and advice through 2016-17, including:

• coordinating the Industrial Relations Practitioners Network meetings, with IR representatives from across the State Service. These regular meetings have been an opportunity to share information and work with colleagues across Agencies in order to better grow IR knowledge and capability within the TSS.
• acting as secretariat and support for the Public Sector Industrial Relations Committee (PSIRC). PSIRC is comprised of a group of senior leaders from across the State Service who oversee and make recommendations to resolve IR issues and wage negotiation parameters, and provide advice to Government on these issues.
• monitoring and provide advice on disputes that arose through the Tasmanian Industrial Commission, and assist agencies in the interpretation and application of clauses in Awards and Agreements.

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