Let the good times roll, 2023 State Award made today
- Details
- Published: Monday, 26 June 2023 12:28
Commissioner Muir this morning consented to the making of a new Local Government State Award 2023, to apply from the first pay period after 1 July. We provided a summary of the more significant benefits of the new Award in emails to members on 22 May, with a copy of the proposed draft Award. It has lots to recommend it.
Starting with a 4.5% pay increase from the first pay period on or after 1 July, in addition to the employer’s obligation to increase compulsory superannuation by another 0.5% from the same date. What’s not to like?
The Award was made with the consent of the LGNSW, the employers’ representative and the four unions - depa, the LGEA, the USU and the NSW Nurses and Midwives, who have historically had a few members in a few councils.
This process began with the parties exchanging logs of claims in September 2022, we’ve met consistently, had our good days and our bad days, but this is an important document with significant pay increases that are the envy of the State Public Sector in New South Wales. Those workers, including jobs that saved us all during Covid, are still arguing with the NSW government for something above 4%.
There are some really good benefits for members, achieved by the unions over a long and intense period of negotiation.
4.5% from the first pay period after 1 July this year, 3.5% from the first pay period after 1 July next year, and 3% from the first pay period after 1 July 2025. And in 2024 and 2025, there will also be an additional one-off payment of 0.5% of ordinary pay with a minimum payment of $1000. Nice!
We’re particularly pleased that the Award will acknowledge we don’t work all the time, and there will be a right to disconnect - out of hours when you’re away from the office, weekends and when you’re on leave. When Council started rolling out mobile phones to staff, many thought it meant that employees were available for work at all hours. That’s not the case, employees are only required to work outside hours if they are on call and receiving the on call allowance under the Award. The right to disconnect, established in this Award, is a provision which will send a cold shiver down the backs of bosses who think they can ring you, and have you answer the phone, any time they like. No more you can’t, mate.
There is also a provision to recredit annual or long service leave if you’re sick or injured while you’re on leave, and can’t get the benefit of the break (the return of an historic entitlement forfeited years ago but embraced after a lot of bad Covid experiences), catch up increases in car allowances, an annual minimum car allowance of $10,000, a new allowance for electric vehicles, and a commitment for us to meet and monitor the rollout of electric vehicles and how costs should be properly shared between the Council and employees who have them as a leaseback vehicle.
Plus, we’ve clarified and emphasised the obligation on employers “to provide adequate staff and other resources to enable employees to carry out their duties and functions over the course of working hours and are not unreasonable”. It’s now clause 10(ii) and every employee in the industry should memorise it and make sure that their employer respects it, or else!
But wait, there’s more: broader rights to request flexibility for work; expanded bereavement leave; reimbursement for “communication” expenses if the Council wants you to use your own phone or device; increases in on-call allowances (great timing now you’re not obliged to pick up your phone out of hours); incorporation of changes to parental leave under the Federal Paid Parental Leave entitlements; higher-grade pay if you’re required to work in a higher position while that person is on an RDO, and more.
The 4.5% is the biggest increase in the history of the State Award since it was first made in 1991. It wasn’t easily achieved, it took hard work, required the employers’ organisation’s acceptance of the importance of paying a decent increase because of cost of living increases and mortgages, despite protestations from councils which would have rather you had less, or nothing. It was a genuine cooperative exercise with a common goal of building a more rewarding industry in which to work.
Make sure you take advantage of its benefits.