UPDATE … It’s NO again … Federal courts’ pay offer rejected … Strike action back on … Cases adjourned or delayed … Belated conciliation … Frustrated deadlock … People & Culture guru unable to break the deadlock
Of the 980 votes lodged, 69 percent voted NO to the offer (681 employees) and 31 percent votes YES (299). Some 1,182 members of staff were eligible to vote – so 83 percent participated.
There will now be a new round of industrial action that will see hearings adjourned and registries closed.
This is another rebuff for principal registrar Wokka Soden and the dream team of Darrin Moy, the courts’ manager of people and culture, and Catherine Sullivan, the executive director of corporate services – both of who worked together previously at the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.
The new agreement was to cover the courts and the National Native Title Tribunal, which are now under a single management following an administrative merger in the middle of last year.
This morning (Nov. 24) Moy told staff that “bargaining will now resume. We will write to the Fair Work Commission and accept their assistance with mediation”.
The Community and Public Sector Union said the conciliation process should have begun ages ago. The union also announced that industrial action will recommence from Monday, Nov. 27.
There hasn’t been a pay rise for federal courts staff for four years. Moy came on board as the HR guru in May 2016 and ever since there have been protected and fruitless negotiations over pay and conditions following the expiry of the previous EA.
Last June, the previous offer from management was rejected by a 90 percent majority.
Union deputy national president Rupert Evans said today (Nov. 24):
“These are people who have never taken strike action before this dispute, which underlines how bad this is …”
Since the courts can’t resolve the impasse the union is asking attorney general Brandis to step in and “advise courts management to follow the lead set by other Commonwealth agencies that have successfully brokered agreements”.
This week Soden told staff:
“It is important to remember that the courts will not be provided with increased funding to pay the additional cost of salary increases or any extra costs arising from a new agreement.”
Since there has been a pay freeze for such an extended period, lots of money would have been saved. Staff are wondering where it has it gone.
Maybe some of the savings are being pumped into a newly created position, a National Director of Court and Tribunal Service Development. The successful applicant will be based in Sydney and Melbourne and will on band two of the senior executive service.
The blurb from the APS jobs website says:
“The National Director Court & Tribunal Services & Development will play a key role in the design and implementation of the courts reform and modernisation agenda. Reporting to the Principal Registrar and CEO the successful candidate will join an innovative and results driven leadership team …”
The CPSU had previously sought the assistance of the Fair Work Commission in how the negotiations could be progressed.
Basically, the dreadful HR and IR environment at the court has led to a lot of staff unhappiness and resentment.
Let’s hope the dispute doesn’t ultimately have to be resolved by the judges themselves. It would then be an embarrassment for chief justice “Chuckles” Allsop.
See previous reports:
Fear and loathing at the Lubyanka