The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) has outlined its plan for sector wide bargaining in the APS with the launch of a new workplace relations policy.
Releasing the Public Sector Workplace Relations Policy 2023, the APSC said the Policy had been developed after significant consultation with Agencies, Unions and employees.
“The Policy sets out the purpose, principles and objectives to guide service-wide bargaining and provides a useful reference for workplace relations, HR and bargaining teams,” the APSC said.
“The Policy is different to previous APS workplace relations policies,” it said.
“It facilitates genuine service-wide bargaining, rather than providing a policy position on particular terms or conditions.”
The APSC said the Policy comprised of two parts, one for Government Agency and Department employees subject to the Public Service Act 1999, and the other for non-APS employees of commonwealth workplaces (including government business enterprises).
It said the aims of the Policy were to: Re-establish the Public Service as a model employer and employer of choice; Reduce fragmentation of pay and conditions across the APS; Provide pay increases for APS employees underpinned by productivity growth and fair negotiation with stakeholders; Effective implementation of service-wide bargaining; and Allow Agencies to continue negotiating for Agency-level conditions where necessary.
With bargaining already underway, the Commission said the Public Sector Interim Workplace Arrangements 2022 would remain in place until 31 August of this year, at which point all APS employees with a pay increase due before that date would receive an increase of three per cent.
It said the three per cent payrise, outlined in the interim arrangements, was designed to create certainty and consistency across Agencies.
The APSC’s 18-page Public Sector Workplace Relations Policy 2023 can be accessed at this PS News link.
