November 2001 Volume 82 October 11
"serving the protectors"
| November 2001 Volume 82 October 11 "serving the protectors" |
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| By Mark Carroll, PASA Assistant Secretary |
The annual conference of delegates was held on October 16 and 17. The conference is an important part of the Police Association’s yearly activities and a forum for delegates to set policy direction for the committee of management in the coming year.
Included in a number of policy motions moved by the branches were:
- Pursue increase in the flexible shiftwork allowance as part of EB4 process.
- Review industrial democracy that currently exists in SAPOL (i.e. workplace consultative committees, OHS&W committees).
- Monitor and report on the use of solo police by SAPOL and existing SAPOL policies governing such use.
- Explore avenues to achieve PBI status for SAPOL employees with regard to salary packaging.
- Negotiate with SAPOL to have shift penalty payments paid in a more timely manner.
- Lobby for changes to travel expenses (mileage) to reflect actual costs incurred by employees.
Delegates also debated the changing face and needs of the men and women who serve in the policing occupation. The debate centred on industrial outcomes that the association would need to achieve in the coming years in areas of career progression, flexible working arrangements, family-orientated policies, superannuation benefits and length of service, to respond to those changing needs.
To that end, the following policy motions were endorsed:
- To respond appropriately to the challenges of a changing workforce PASA examine the potential for career paths with a review of the current rank structure and remuneration model that breaks the nexus between rank and salary. That this motion be progressed at the earliest opportunity through the EB 4 process.
- That PASA in consultation with the Police Federation of Australia explore the potential for superannuation provisions that provide for disengagement with appropriate benefits after 20 years of police service. That this motion be progressed at the earliest opportunity through the EB4 process.
- That PASA move to achieve appropriate career paths for all sections of SAPOL with increased promotional opportunities.
These policy motions provide a framework for the association to develop an industrial platform for the fourth round of enterprise bargaining in 2003. The development of an industrial agenda that realizes people no longer serve for 35 to 40 years in the policing occupation cannot be underestimated. Recruits are older and length of service is shorter. Your wage is intrinsically linked to rank that in turn forces people to chase promotion outside of their preferred work function or specialization. The challenge for the association is to achieve industrial outcomes reflective of the changing workforce.
It might seem strange to some members that we are already talking about EB4. However, our current agreement expires in 20 months. As was the case in EB3, delegates began preparing immediately after the ratification of the 1998 enterprise agreement.
One of the keynote speakers at this year’s delegates’ conference was co-director of the ACTU Organizing Works programme, Chris Walton. Chris led an excellent debate on what the employer and the workplace would be like without PASA. It is an interesting question that deserves contemplation - especially for those members who might feel some residual grief about not having a particular issue included in the final enterprise agreement. If we did not have a collective enterprise agreement and were forced to bargain individually, how different would your individual employment contract look from the new collective agreement? It must always be recognized that PASA’s success on any issue is dependent on two main themes: high membership and active membership. Without that, what would your workplace be like?
Delegates also debated the current representative structure of the Police Association. Currently the rules of the association provide for branch representation with a two-tiered delegate structure (workplace and conference). It was agreed that the two-tiered delegate structure should remain with an improved communication strategy from the committee of management to all delegates. This reinforces PASA’s commitment to being truly democratic in structure and intent. If you want to be involved, there are still some vacant workplace delegate positions. Why not take up the challenge?
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