A fair, safe and productive public sector work environment
Public Sector Industrial and Employee Relations Services
What we do
Key outcomes
Priorities for 2006-07
Key priorities and achievements
Policy leadership
Service delivery
In the year ahead
This output delivers industrial and employee relations services relating to the government’s own workforce.
Change in 2005-06In December 2005, three units from the Division of Public Sector and Employee and Industrial Relations became part of the Office of Public Sector Merit and Equity (OPSME). The change consolidates the workforce planning capacity of the Queensland Public Sector into one agency. The Division of Public Sector Employee and Industrial Relations’ main focus is on the public sector wage bargaining process. |
Public Sector Industrial and Employee Relations Services
This output delivers industrial and employee relations services relating to the government’s own workforce.
Major responsibilities are to:
- improve and review public sector wages, bargaining and employee relations policies
- assist agencies to effectively implement government industrial and employee relations policy for public sector employees
- monitor and assist government-owned corporations with matters relating to industrial and employee relations.
Key stakeholders include Government, public sector agencies and entities, unions and employees.
What we do
- In conjunction with government departments and agencies negotiate workplace agreements with the relevant public sector unions
- Advise agencies on the interpretation and application of various industrial instruments, and assist in representing the agencies in industrial dispute resolution
- Advise government-owned corporations on the implementation of industrial policy, and provide information, advice and direction in relation to the management of industrial disputes and employee relations strategies and initiatives.
Resources
Key outcomes
The division has been highly successful in delivering the requirements of the Government Wages Policy with a minimal level of industrial disputation.
This climate of cooperation and collaboration was enhanced by the highly effective implementation and operation of other industrial and employee relations policies. The effectiveness was highlighted by the achievement of a 100% satisfaction in the annual client satisfaction survey.
Priorities for 2006-07
- Develop public sector wage policy and implement that policy through wage bargaining processes.
- Provide public sector industrial relations advice and services to support reform to the health system, guarantee public sector productivity and support the attraction and retention of workers to meet identified skill shortages.
- Work closely with Queensland government owned corporations, statutory bodies and other public sector entities that are subject to the new WorkChoices legislation to help them to manage the impact of the legislation.
Key priorities and achievements
What we said we would do |
Achievements |
|---|---|
Finalise and implement wages policy that contributes to outcomes consistent with government policy.
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Develop policies and practices to support the achievement of quality public service workplaces. |
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Policy Leadership
Strategies
- lead the development of the public sector bargaining frameworks.
Action
The department successfully completed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Queensland Council of Unions (on behalf of the unions representing public sector workers). This memorandum established consistent wage outcomes across the public sector (4% per annum or $30 per week, whichever is the greater) as well as enhancing a number of employment conditions. The most notable of these enhancements is the increase in paid maternity/adoption leave from six weeks to 12 weeks.
This output took an active role in developing the industrial strategies associated with certified agreements for Queensland Health (agreements for nurses, medical staff and staff other than nurses). The agreements formed a significant part of the health reform agenda in Queensland. These industrial strategies included the piloting of the use of facilitated interest-based bargaining to allow the parties to explore problem-solving approaches rather than adversarial positional bargaining.
The department continued to work closely with agencies to develop industrial solutions for staffing issues such as shortages of appropriately skilled workers. These solutions will look at innovative and creative policies and programs and will focus on addressing these needs in both the short and longer term.
Service delivery
Strategies
- assist public sector agencies in bargaining negotiations
- improve the quality of public sector workplaces by developing responsive workforce management practices.
Action
- In 2005-06, some 18 certified agreements for Queensland Government agencies (including government-owned corporations) were negotiated. These agreements, based on cooperative and consultative industrial relations, delivered fair and reasonable wages while contributing to the Queensland public sector ability to deliver quality services.
- Other certified agreements included Education Queensland agreements with teachers’ aides, teachers and cleaners, the Queensland Ambulance Service agreement and the Department of Primary Industries’ Forestry agreement.
- The department also contributed strategically to the renegotiation of certified agreements in a number of government-owned corporations. These included Queensland Rail, Energex and Ergon.
- In December 2005, three units of the department’s Division of Public Sector Industrial and Employee Relations became part of the Office of Public Service Merit and Equity (OPSME). The units focused on employment policy, learning and development (including the Public Sector Management Program) and information and data analysis. These units had a close working relationship with the OPSME and the change consolidates workforce planning for the Queensland public sector into one department. The transition was effectively managed with no disruption in service delivery.
In the year ahead
- In 2006-07, the output will continue to focus on public sector wage bargaining and public sector industrial relations advice and services.
- Negotiations for a new State Government Departments Certified Agreement (Core Agreement) will be a high priority. The 2004 agreement is due to expire early in the 2006-07 financial year. In addition to the ‘core’ State Government Departments Agreement, 17 other certified agreements are due for renewal in 2006-07.
- The output will continue to work closely with Queensland Health on industrial relations and human resource strategies to continue reform to the health system.
- The output will work closely with the OPSME (now Office of the Public Service Commissioner) in relation to reviewing Government policy and practices associated with the attraction and retention of identified skill shortage areas within the Queensland public sector. This work will include a review of the current salary sacrifice arrangements available to employees.
- The output provides public sector industrial relations advice and service to public sector entities. This work focuses on assisting the entities to operationalise policy and procedure within the public sector. There will also be a role in ensuring entities affected by recent federal legislative changes fully understand these changes.
- Until the Queensland Government’s High Court challenge to the federal government’s WorkChoices legislation is determined, Queensland government- owned corporations, statutory bodies and some other public sector entities will be subject to the new legislation. This output will work closely with these various bodies to manage the impact of the legislation.
Last updated June 4, 2009
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