Super super scheme changes

State Superannuation Scheme members can now elect to salary sacrifice compulsory employee contributions to the scheme, reports ROD BROWN.

The change brings State Superannuation Scheme (SSS) members in-line with their colleagues in the State Authorities Superannuation Scheme (SASS). Those SASS members who have elected to salary sacrifice their compulsory employee contributions have had the changed arrangements apply to contributions since April 1. Members of the SSS who wish to salary sacrifice their compulsory employee contributions can access an election form from DET's intranet site. Federation members working for other NSW public sector agencies should contact their respective human resources departments for relevant information. In considering whether to salary sacrifice compulsory employee superannuation contributions, both SSS and SASS members may find the calculators at State Super's website (www.statesuper.nsw.gov.au) of assistance.

The changes to both SSS and SASS fulfil a plank of the current salary award agreed between Federation and DET in October 2005. The proposal was specifically addressed and endorsed by the Sky Channel meetings that considered and accepted the recommendation around the settlement of the award negotiations. With DET having accepted the changes, it was necessary to pursue the issue with the NSW Government and more specifically the Public Employment Office (PEO), which acts as the employer in such matters for all NSW public sector employees. The PEO's representatives initially advised that the proposal was problematic and would take many years to implement, if ever. In direct negotiations with both the PEO and the government, Federation pressed for a timetable within the current award agreement with DET. The PEO advised that any changes would necessarily apply across the NSW public sector. While Federation accepted the changes should flow to all NSW public sector employees, the union argued that this should not be used as an impediment to implementing the changes.

Following the amendments to the SASS legislation in 2006, the campaign focussed on having the SSS legislation similarly amended. Federation campaigned for a date no later than July 1, 2007 as the operative date for SSS members.

In the lead up to the NSW election, then Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt announced to the Federation's March Council meeting that the legislation amending the SSS would be introduced in the Budget session of parliament. This was the short session of parliament held following the election. The legislation was introduced to the Legislative Assembly on June 8 and that is where the legislation stayed. With the very real prospect that the legislation would languish in the parliament, Federation wrote to all of its members for whom it had an email address, urging that they write to both Education Minister John Della Bosca and the PEO. Both the Minister's office and the PEO were flooded with letters from teachers calling for the change to be implemented immediately.

On June 27 legislation passed the NSW Parliament amending the SSS, to provide for the salary sacrifice of compulsory employee contributions to the scheme.

The passing of the legislation is a credit to the efforts of all those members who wrote letters, asked questions of MPs and persisted with the campaign.

Rod Brown is a Welfare Officer.

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July 2007 contents