DSE Unmoved on Entitlements

Fire and Emergency provision negotiations around our Victorian Public Service Agreement Appendix 9 entitlements have been ongoing but DSE refuses to make any significant concessions or compromises.

CPSU is seeking increased Fireline and Emergency Support Allowances, greater access to ESSS Defined Benefits Superannuation, an increase in the payments for IMT roles, and an increase in the number of roles eligible for payments.

In arguing for these increases, CPSU's bargaining team have pointed out that there is a real problem attracting people to do these roles.

DSE have denied this, and repeatedly insisted that there is no shortage of people willing to take on an IMT role.

So it was of great interest that the Union became aware that in at least one region, the Department has not been able to fill IMT roles over the Christmas/New Year period.

Staff were told in an memo that even if they had a period of leave approved over this time, they now needed to go to the District Fire Manager and seek to have the leave approved for a second time!

If anyone is in this situation, and has had difficulty accessing or gaining approval for annual leave they are urged to contact the Union as soon as possible.

The Union will continue to push for these improvements to entitlements and will keep members informed of any developments.


Pay Rise Coming - Fair Work to Decide on PS Wages

Fair Work Australia terminated our bargaining on the eve of Christmas and arbitration on wages will be the next step to resolve the impasse for CPSU members.

The Government can make an acceptable wages offer during the conciliation period but this ends on 13 January 2012.

Treasury has now requested PS wage discussions this Friday.

It's sunk in it seems, that their massive job redundancy announcement ambush just before Christmas provides the undeniable 'cash at bank' productivity evidence wage Tribunals love.

Commissioner Smith’s Decision;  Fair Work Order;


ORGANISE YOUR WORKPLACE NOW.

Follow all our bargaining updates on twitter -

  - CPSU_Vic #baillieubargaining

Visit http://www.cpsuvic.org for all the bargaining information.

Please distribute this bulletin and ask your colleagues to join CPSU to have their voice heard and their views represented.


TOGETHER WE DO BETTER!

http://www.cpsuvic.org/public_docs/Work-Can-Change-membership-flyer.pdf
http://www.cpsuvic.org/public_docs/memform.pdf


KAREN BATT
CPSU Victorian Branch Secretary

Tuesday 3 January 2012