Parliament House – members bulletin – 12 August 2015
12 August 2015
Parliament House members bulletin – 12 August 2015 (PDF version)
É«ÀÇÉçÇøJoint Consultative Committee
The Parliament House É«ÀÇÉçÇøJoint Consultative Committee (JCC) last met on 23 July 2015. The Consultative Committee is the forum where your union delegates and officials meet with management to discuss and determine the issues that affect you in your workplace.
Members’ staff employment arrangements
Although the Members of Parliament Staff Act 2013 has been in force for over a year, its impact on employment security is only now being felt. Members of Parliament are permitted to hire and fire staff virtually at will and there is no minimum length of contract for staff. Some staff have been on rolling 3 month contracts at the Member’s request.
At the JCC meeting, management advised that after 6 months employment and subject to approval by the Member of Parliament, staff can be recommended for ‘ongoing’ employment. ‘Ongoing’ is the new term for ‘permanent’ and will be used for consistency purposes across the NSW public service. As Members’ staff do not have access to the Industrial Relations Commission, management has agreed to apply internal appeal guidelines to any employment issues that arise.
The É«ÀÇÉçÇøremains concerned that the Members of Parliament Staff Act 2013 not only substantially reduces the industrial rights of the staff of Members but also has the capacity to undermine the quality of the relationship between MPs and the staff they work with. We are currently investigating what access Members’ staff have to adjudication of disputes by the Fair Work Commission in the absence of access to the Industrial Relations Commission.
Public Sector Capability Framework
The Public Sector Capability Framework is currently being rolled out for all agencies in the NSW public sector. It is a new method of describing the capabilities required to perform a role, and will form the basis of all recruitment and performance development. Management is examining the capability framework for application to Parliament House. When a draft of any proposed changes to current policies has been completed, management will consult with the É«ÀÇÉçÇøand staff.
Advising the PSA
Please remember to advise the É«ÀÇÉçÇøif your work situation changes, especially if you move workplaces or leave Parliament House, so that your É«ÀÇÉçÇømembership information can be updated.
Your É«ÀÇÉçÇøworkplace delegates
• April Lowndes, Legislative Assembly
• David Hale, Legislative Assembly
• Perri Hodge, Legislative Assembly
• Kelly Marks, Legislative Council
• Greg Shaw, Legislative Council
• Santiago Naves Gomez, DPS