Proposed PV Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.

Following lengthy negotiations CPSU's Branch Council and our Parks Victoria Branch section have now endorsed the draft proposed Parks Victoria Enterprise Bargaining Agreement for members' consideration and approval.

This proposed EBA represents significant improvements in wages and conditions for our PV members.

These negotiations have not been without their significant challenges.

While working to improve wages and entitlements, the union negotiation team also found themselves fighting to ward off the introduction of demands from Parks Victoria that would have had a significant corrosive affect with changes such as the introduction of the Liquor and Hospitability Award as our base.

As well as defending your existing conditions CPSU representatives have negotiated further improvements and protections for our working future.

Below is a summary of the salary and entitlements outcomes of the proposed EBA:

o Average payment on Translation to our new Career (classification) Structure = 0.65%
o April 08 (lodgement) = 3.25%
o 1 June 08 =1.0%
o 1 July 08 p pay = 1.85%
o 1 June 09 = 3.25%
o 1 July 09 p pay = 1.85%
o 1 June 2010 = 3.25%
o 1 July 2010 p pay = 1.85%

As an example an employee on a salary now of $50,000 will have their salary grow to almost $60,000 in the life of the proposed Agreement. Therefore, translation to a new salary structure, combined with salary outcomes and performance (progression) payments deliver increases on average totalling approximately 20% with this Agreement.

ENTITLMENT IMPROVEMENTS:

The proposed parks Victoria EBA will deliver numerous improvements across the board. These improvements include:

- A commitment that the productivity outcomes of this agreement relate only to your existing public land estate and practices. Any addition to your areas such as new National Parks and or reserves, new service agreements or alterations to service agreements will be identified as outcomes over and above this EBA.

- New and improved Grievance resolution procedure via our model clause.

- A new productivity clause ensuring that any outcomes relate solely to the existing public land estate and management practices as they exist at the certification of the agreement. This clause also ensures that the employer will consult regarding expansions to its estate and roles, providing us with opportunities to discuss productivity and work value whenever new National (or other) Parks are declared.

- New workload provisions in line with the Victorian Public Service Agreement 2006.

- New seasonal clause ensuring genuine seasonal work. This will provide greater security for members as well as greater access to Centrelink payments in periods of ‚Äö?Ñ??inactive employment‚Äö?Ñ??.

- Casual employment clause to come in line with the VPSA 2006.

- Commercial employees. A new clause identifying retail sales and food service staff. This is for workers not currently employed by PV but employed by leases. (Kiosks etc). This will not apply to existing employees and will provide a career path for new food service and retail workers.

- Appointments and promotions have been changed to provide greater transparency.

- A new Appointments by Transfer provision to ensure transparency to PV s transfer process and reporting process to members via a monitoring committee.

- Relocation reimbursement has been refined to address definitions of properties other that a residence.

- Higher duties. Payment at 100% for all grades 1 to 7, including a commitment that staff will not be required to undertake any of their substantive roles.

- Salaries sacrifice for members in defined benefit super schemes.

- Spread of hours better defined to ensure overtime and workload balance,

- Rostered weekend employees improved to ensure that weekend days are not required to be reworked if a member is deployed to an emergency.

- All allowances have been increased. (meals, prescribed burn, camping etc‚Äö?Ѭ?‚Äö?Ѭ?)

- New shift work provisions.

- New allowance for short term deployments.

- New minimum standards of temporary accommodation. Parks Victoria will now provide accommodation to a 3 star standard for employees. Where this cannot be provided the camping allowance will apply. This also resolves years of disagreement over the application of the camping allowance.

- An after hours duty officer provision and payment will be identified. **

- Refined EEO provisions

- New OH&S clause.

- Emergency provisions have been maintained. Members will be paid in accordance with CPSU's VPS emergency provisions. This is a vastly different provision to what management first proposed.

CLASSIFICATION AND SALARIES:

A new career structure will deliver the following:

* increases to entry point salaries for all grades (excluding grade 1 and 2.1)
* translation to new salaries that will deliver up to 1.8%. (average will be 0.65%)
* process to fast track members in grade 2.1 through 2.2 to grade 2.3.
* introduction of over 60 new grade 3 positions. Each Ranger in charge district will have one grade 3 role. This role will not be a team leader, but a ‚Äö?Ñ??senior ranger/field officer role. Eligible members can apply for the upgrade. 1 in 3 staff at the ceiling of grade 2.3 will be upgraded. **
* New job evaluation process.
* A genuine classification work value review for all Rangers in Charge and Team Leaders across PV. This will identify work value and classification anomalies with the aim of regrading those members seen as under classified. **
* Members will now genuinely progress through the bands in the career structure via performance progression valued at 1.85% per year.
* New employees, (whether internal or external) can now be appointed to any pay point within a band. Previously it was strictly at the entry point only.
* New appeals clause for job review outcomes.

(‚Äö?Ñ??due to several restrictions, including federal work choices legislation still in place, the outcomes marked with ** will be delivered via a formal MOU between the parties‚Äö?Ñ??)

DESCRIPTORS:

* Changes include provision to include commercial duties (food and retail sales) within grades 1 and 2.

* Changes to grade 8. this included the introduction of descriptors (not previously identified in grade 8). The introduction of 2 value ranges and the ability to move through the grade in the same way that all other employees do.

LEAVE & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:

Several changes to leave and public holiday provisions will deliver improved conditions for members. These include:

- payment arrangements for Substitute Christmas days.
- Additional leave for shift work.
- Increased ability to accrue annual leave.
- Parental leave increased.
- Reciprocal service recognition provisions increased.
- Increased purchased leave (44/52) and (80/20)
- Increases to indigenous leave provisions including Koori Court/bereavement leave/cultural and ceremonial leave.
- Increased sporting leave.

REMOTE LOCATION

This agreement will deliver some of the greatest improvements to members living and working in remote areas. These outcomes have been delivered thanks to strenuous and committed efforts by your fellow union members which will now see Parks Victoria CPSU members lead the way in remote living provisions in the Victorian public sector.

Improvements include:

- all existing locations have retained their classification.
- Allowance has increased.
- New locations have been added to clause.
- A new ‚Äö?Ñ??attraction payment‚Äö?Ñ?? has been added to provision.

FIRE AND EMERGENCY.

CPSU has successfully retained you fire and emergency provisions consistent with the VPS. This will ensure that all members working in fire and emergency operations, including the many roles not physically on the ‚Äö?Ñ??fire line‚Äö?Ñ?? receive all allowances and conditions.

CPSU will enter into negotiations to improve these provisions as part of the VPSA 2009 EBA.

As the sole union signatory to the VPSA EBA the Community and Public Sector Union will ensure Parks Victoria employee representation via the inclusion of your PV union branch section for these negotiations.

INFORMATION SESSIONS.

Parks Victoria will now be running EBA information sessions across the state. CPSU officials will also be attending these meetings and is also encouraging all PV regions to organise a workplace meeting to discuss the EBA negotiations and these outcomes.

To arrange a meeting in you area please contact the union via enquiry@cpsuvic.org

Parks Victoria members are proudly represented by your union negotiating team;

* Peter Lawrence, Branch president,
* Kym Schram, Vice president,
* Leon Atkinson, Indigenous rep,
* Annie Leschen, Branch section committee and CPSU Industrial Officer (ex Ranger) John Crane.

CPSU continues to ensure that you are represented by your union which are your work mates and your future pay and conditions can be delivered thanks to your union membership.

Ensure that these improvements are maintained now and into the future.

Join your work mates, join CPSU.

KAREN BATT
CPSU Victorian Branch Secretary

Tuesday, 29 April 2008