MidCoast running sore settled

• 
• 

Details

Published: Monday, 12 February 2024 13:10

It’s more than two years now since MidCoast Council looked at options for tampering with the salary system that had existed for years without complaint, and which provided annual progression for employees who “met standard”, albeit an increase of only 1.25%. It was predictable, and any council that has all its employees meeting expectations is a lucky one. But the GM and his HR/industrial adviser thought it tantamount to automatic progression, which it wasn’t.

Two years since options were canvassed, and perilously close to two years since an industrial dispute was filed and we had the opportunity of arguing with the Council about just about everything.

The Council executive endorsed the recommendation. The USU and LGEA have had joint meetings this week and we provided our members with an electronic vote which overwhelmingly returned acceptance of a compromise solution. The unions were recommending acceptance of a proposal drafted by Commissioner Webster after two hearing days and then further conciliation trying to settle the dispute. This was a dispute which would be understated to describe as interminable.

The Council’s first proposal was that no one would progress beyond entry level any longer for what had been the historic test of “met standard”. None at all. But the compromise solution provides continuing progression but where employees will need to meet standard for a couple of years. There are a range of options, all of which are a long way from the loss of that progression. Plus an opportunity for more relaxed requirements to progress based on “exceed standard”, which the unions will be strongly enforcing.

We return to the IRC on 23 February where the unions can advise the Commission that we also have accepted her recommended solution. The Council has a problem with the Commissioner’s words “excluding the arrangements for the Water services existing salary system arrangements introduced in 2019”, which the unions think means everyone currently on those arrangements, but where the Council thinks it means hardly anyone…

Having won the prestigious and authoritative Golden Turd award in 2022 and 2023, it could be someone else’s turn this year. But...