Chapter 6 – Managing Workplace Relations

During 2017-18 SSMO’s Industrial Relations unit was renamed the Workplace Relations unit to better reflect the broad work and priorities of the team, that includes providing advice and guidance to agencies on a range of employment related matters, such as:

• performance management;
• grievances;
• code of conduct;
• discipline procedures; and
• fixed-term appointments.

SSMO continued to provide Workplace Relations (WR) support and advice through 2017-18, including providing advice to agencies on WR related queries and complex interpretation matters, and monitoring and providing advice on disputes that arose through the Tasmanian Industrial Commission (TIC). The Workplace Relations unit continued to chair the Industrial Relations Practitioners Network bringing together Industrial Relations practitioners across the TSS, and also represented the State at the inter-jurisdictional Public Sector Industrial Relations Directors Conferences.

Negotiating Awards and Agreements

There are currently 21 wage-related agreements in operation in the State Service and of these 18 are due to be renegotiated in 2018.

SSMO’s Workplace Relations team continues to have responsibility for all TSS Awards and Agreements and provide advice in relations to those, and where necessary represent the employer in the TIC.

SSMO is taking a lead role in coordinating and negotiating Industrial Agreements to provide consistency and efficiency across all negotiation processes. The negotiation of new Industrial Agreements, and the implementation of Agreements that have been negotiated, will form a major body of work for SSMO in the coming year.

All TSS Industrial Agreement negotiations are guided by the Government’s Wages Policy 2018-2020, which covers all award-covered employees, and non-award covered officers, and takes into account salary, allowances and other conditions related to employment.

Following the registration of the Public Sector Unions Wages Agreement (PSUWA) 2016 a number of commitments outside of the Agreement were given, and these have been worked on throughout the year. This includes work on:

• the examination of the TSS Employment Framework;
• modernisation of Award clauses;
• shift work;
• youth recruitment;
• sporting and cultural leave; and
• wage related allowances.

We undertake regular consultation with unions on these matters and provide progress updates. Any outstanding matters from this process will be referred to a consultative forum or discussed as part of the new PSUWA.

We also consulted and provided advice on other significant matters involving terms and condition for emergencies, the establishment of the new Department of Communities Tasmania and on investigations.

PSIRC Update

In 2017-18 SSMO continued to act as secretariat for the Public Sector Industrial Relations Committee (PSIRC). PSIRC is comprised of the Head of the State Service (Chair); Secretary, Department of Treasury and Finance; and Secretary, Department of Justice who act on behalf of the Cabinet Committee. PSIRC is authorised to establish bargaining parameters under which TSS Agreements will be negotiated.

Meetings are scheduled monthly and the Director, SSMO and Deputy Director Workplace Relations, SSMO provide support to PSIRC in the form of WR expertise.

The Tasmanian State Service Bargaining Parameters were updated in June 2018, and provide advice on the framework and governance for negotiating Agreements, cover processes and procedures, roles and responsibilities, details on contents of negotiating components, and productivities and efficiencies.

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