ɫ������

General Assistant update on GSE meeting with DOE HR

  31 August 2017

General Assistant update on GSE meeting with DOE HR – August 2017 (PDF version)

Members will be aware that the Department of Education (DoE) is implementing the Government Sector Employment Act (GSE) provisions for capability-based role descriptions and recruitment.

The ɫ������met with the DoE’s Human Resources and Industrial Relations Directorates representatives on 30 August 2017 about these two issues.

Role descriptions

Consultation around the proposed Role Description with GAAG Delegates had already been supplied to the DoE. Some feedback was accepted, other aspects were rejected.

At this meeting, DoE representatives were open to receive the additional feedback from the PSA. The ɫ������raised that the proposed Role Description seemed to allow for additional duties which GAs currently do not undertake. The DoE was interested in this and agreed that the conversion process from Statement of Duties to Role Description was not meant to increase workload.

Another aspect of the PSA’s feedback at the meeting included specifying the supervisor for GAs. The ɫ������asked that the proposed Role Description state that the GAs supervisor be the Principal or a member of the school’s teaching executive. The ɫ������maintains SAMs and Business Managers do not have a supervisory role for GAs.

It was agreed the wording about WHS in the proposed Role Description needed to be looked at because it was not clear WHS is a responsibility of everyone in the school.

GA transfer list

The meeting also discussed concerns about the GA Transfer List being abolished after Term 4 2017. The ɫ������understands the DoE’s position that the current transfer list is non-compliant with the GSE and the DoE has no choice but to stop using the current model.

After a lot of work the ɫ������believes that under the GSE there is a potential legal model of internal transfers that the DoE might be able to adopt. The name of the “Transfer List” will change to something which is recognised by the GSE.

If the DoE agrees with the PSA, this would mean that an Expression of Interest (EOI) could be submitted each year for consideration in the new model “transfer list”.

The new model “transfer list” to be GSE compliant would mean that Principals are not required to use the “transfer list” and there will no longer be selection based on seniority. Seniority is not a provision of the GSE.

While the ɫ������understands the DoE is forced to be GSE compliant by the legislation introduced by the O’Farrell Government, it is sad to see a long-standing employment condition obliterated at the stoke of a pen by a worker-unfriendly government.

What’s next?

The ɫ������has agreed to supply to the DoE further information which clearly articulates members concerns around these two industrial issues which are important to GA members.

As this matter progresses, the ɫ������will keep members informed.

United we bargain, divided we beg.

Contacts

• Greg Adnum
  ɫ������GA Organiser

• Brett Hammond
  GAAG Chair (and on temporary secondment to PSA)

• Anthony Wright
  Industrial Officer

• Greg Corrigan
  Senior Industrial Officer.

Not a member? today!