The purpose of this PSA Member Update is to provide some information to members about the process for negotiating an enterprise agreement.

The PSA has a proud history of nearly 140 years of independent advocacy for members. PSA members’ priorities drive the focus of every round of negotiations. In this round, members’ highest priority is dealing with the damaging cost of living crisis. The PSA has repeatedly made it clear that a significant increase in wages is required.

As a membership based, membership focused, democratic organisation the PSA is responsible and accountable to all members. This means that PSA members drive the determination of priorities for negotiation. The PSA has been very thorough in consulting with members about this. All members have had — and continue to have — the opportunity and capacity to contribute to the development of the PSA’s positions. The PSA takes very seriously its heavy responsibility to represent PSA members. PSA members come from the entire range of agencies, professions and occupations covered by the salaried agreement.

The process around “logs of claims”

A “log of claims” is essentially a set of proposals, or a list of topics for consideration, which parties bring to the negotiation table.

Our number one claim — our members’ highest priority — for these negotiations is a wages outcome that deals with the cost of living crisis which is hurting our members. The PSA has been upfront and advocating strongly about this for a very long time.

The PSA has also provided to the government, both formally and informally, a list of other topics about which the PSA will require more detailed negotiations. These topics were developed from our membership survey earlier this year, are summarised in our What You Have Told Us document, and have been referred to in previous member communications.

These will be set out again for members in more detail in a separate PSA Information Update to be issued shortly.

The PSA has also requested a “log of claims” from the government. It is important for PSA members to know what claims the government is making against them.

The government’s response to this request is that “the employer does not have a log of claims…. but here’s the tricky bit - “The employer is presently developing proposals….” about changing clauses they don’t like in the current agreement. We have formally asked the government to identify these clauses but so far they have refused to do so.

Dealing with the parties’ “logs of claims” is subject to the context and circumstances of each negotiation. The time for PSA members’ valuable resources to be best deployed, when it comes to negotiating the granular detail of proposals, is when government representatives have the will, the authority and the capacity to deal with serious negotiations.

The PSA recently wrote to the government seeking to establish a serious basis for negotiations. We are yet to receive a satisfactory response. The government cannot even confirm which employees it is proposing a new agreement would cover, let alone acknowledge there is a cost of living crisis.

In summary, the PSA has provided to government our topics for negotiation — in other words the items on our log of claims. We have made it abundantly clear that wage increases are PSA members’ highest priority for these negotiations — just like job security was in the last round of negotiations.

The government has so far provided us with nothing other than an insulting proposition of a wage increase of up to 3% from August next year — subject to unspecified reductions in conditions.

Representation in the salaried enterprise agreement negotiations

Every PSA member covered by the salaried enterprise agreement is represented by the PSA in the negotiations for a new salaried agreement.

Being a PSA member locks in your representation by the PSA.

Your PSA membership means the PSA is representing you and advocating for you.

As a PSA member you can be confident that the positions advocated on your behalf by the PSA represent the positions determined by PSA members through our democratic membership processes.

There is also provision in negotiations for bargaining agents for those who are not members of, and who are not represented by, the PSA. Bargaining agents are not subject to the democratic accountabilities and responsibilities of membership-based organisations such as the PSA. In recent negotiations, for example, we have seen bargaining agents — including senior government HR personnel — propose trading off important conditions like our job security provisions which were so critical for PSA members in the last round of negotiations.

The best way to ensure responsible, accountable, democratic, independent representation and advocacy in these negotiations is to be a PSA member.

Ultimately it will be PSA members who will determine the outcomes of these negotiations.

WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

We all know that PSA members working together can improve outcomes for public sector workers and the community. You and your colleagues have the power to make a real difference. But we have to be in it together to make that difference.

Ask those yet to join you in the PSA to join online today.

YOUR UNION, YOUR VOICE, YOUR AGREEMENT

Contact: youragreement@psaofsa.asn.au

4 December 2024

Please distribute to all PSA Members covered by the salaried enterprise agreement