Corrective Services salaries breakthrough

but Bradfield impasse remains

The Corrective Services award is near settlement, but still no increase has been granted for Bradfield College teachers, writes PETER WILSON.

Federation congratulates all members in Corrective Services who demonstrated their preparedness to take stopwork action to place pressure upon the employer to demand a consent award with no loss of conditions. Stopwork action planned for March 27 and then deferred until the next day to keep pressure on the employer was suspended when agreement was achieved, which in part stated:

"Education program continuity in a correctional centre is often disrupted for varying amounts of time because of different operational requirements that arise in a centre. These disruptions are neither instigated by, nor caused by education staff of the Department of Corrective Services. These disruptions occur to varying degrees in different centres, hence educational programs in different centres are differentially disrupted.

"To this end, the parties agree that within the period of the 2006 Consent Award, given the operational variations that occur in different centres, to enter into negotiations to identify mechanisms that can be agreed between the parties whereby the number of face to face teaching hours received by inmates is maximized."

No other public servants in NSW, other than Bradfield College teachers, have had to fight to maintain conditions in order to achieve the four per cent per annum wage increases and the improved leave conditions that have been provided in this wages round by the NSW State Government.

There are some minor items still outstanding but it is hoped that agreement on these matters will be achieved and a new 2006 consent award will be finalised shortly.

Once again, Federation strongly commends members in the Corrective Services Teachers Association for the strength they displayed to bring about the breakthrough. The union further thanks all workplaces that have carried motions in support of our members in this dispute.

Bradfield College

Unfortunately, the same breakthrough cannot be reported for the dispute at Bradfield College.

Despite requests to Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt to intervene to assist in the resolution of this dispute, her office has not responded to Federation's letters. Federation knows of no other NSW government employees that have not received a four per cent salaries increase and are not receiving the improved maternity and extended leave provisions.

Federation is trying to resolve this impasse. All workplaces are asked to send resolutions of support to Bradfield and to call on the Minister to ensure that Bradfield gets a consent award with no loss of conditions, backdated to January 1, 2006.

Peter Wilson is an Industrial Officer.

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April 2006 contents