The Australian Public Service Commissioner has distributed an open letter to members of the Australian Public Service (APS) discussing the development of a new approach to workplace relations.
In his letter, APS Commissioner Peter Woolcott said it included developing a comprehensive workplace relations policy with a view to undertaking service wide bargaining for common core terms and conditions in 2023.
“The release of the Public Sector Interim Workplace Arrangements 2022 (Interim Arrangements) last month gives the Commission the time needed to consult on and develop a long term approach to service wide bargaining,” Mr Woolcott said.
“The Minister for the Public Service, Senator Katy Gallagher, has made an early policy decision that service wide bargaining should be limited to APS Agencies and their employees,” he said.
“This includes all Agencies who engage employees under the Public Service Act 1999.”
Mr Woolcott said that at the same time, the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) would develop separate arrangements for Agencies who engaged employees under different enabling legislation, for example non-APS Commonwealth Agencies.
He said the APSC had established a Workplace Relations Bargaining Taskforce to develop the approach to service wide bargaining while recognising the diversity of Agencies and their employees.
“The Taskforce has already begun consulting with APS agencies and public sector unions,” the Commissioner said.
“The new arrangements will enable the negotiation of certain common core terms and conditions in the APS and will also give Agencies the flexibility to negotiate specific conditions,” he said.
“I expect initial steps will be taken to address pay dispersion across the APS,” Mr Woolcott said.
Further information on service-wide bargaining can be accessed at this PS News link and the Commissioner’s open letter at this link.
