Documents Workplace Relations 10.14379.pdf - Chief Minister's ...

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ATTACHMENT
Legislative Assembly Members' Staff Enterprise Agreement- Staff and Unions' Log of Claims
LAMS Staff and Unions' Claims Government Team's Response
1. Quantum of pay increase and sign on bonus
We request a pay rise and sign on bonus of the Agreed.
same quantum as that proposed in the draft
Agency Enterprise Bargain Agreements between .
the ACT Government and its employees.
2. Provision of mobile phones
We request that it be left to the discretion of Agreed. The Government team understands that
members, in consultation with their staff, to this claim relates in part to the provision of
decide where provision of a mobile phone with blackberry technology. Currently access to
email compatibility could improve productivity. blackberry technology is provided for Chiefs of
Staff and Media Advisers only. It is agreed that
guidelines may be changed that allow access to
other staff at the discretion of the Member. This is
on the understanding that the cost is met from the
Member's DOA.
3. On-call allowance
The above undertaking would need to be Not Agreed. This is already incorporated into
accompanied by an "on-call allowance", of an salaries, which are 'somewhat in advance' of
agreed percentage of salary, to account for the ACTPS equivalents. Staff can also claim TOIL for
additional time outside of work hours that LAMS this purpose. The Government team may
staff are required to be available. The increased reconsider an overall LAMS allowance which has
cost to budget is more than offset by productivity on call and existing LAMS allowance elements as
gains through the use of this technology. a substitute for TOIL. The Government team is
unconvinced that an on call allowance would be
offset by productivity gains.
4. Administration of the LAMS allowance
We request that the LAMS Allowance be paid as an Agreed. The Government team is prepared to
all purpose allowance, that is, on all days employed, change the methodology used to calculate the
rather than days worked, to reflect the additional LAMS allowance over a full year. This would
availability required of LAMS staff. This would mean include times when staff are on paid leave but not
that the LAMS Allowance is paid each day unless at times when on unpaid leave. However, this
the employee is on leave without pay. This should would be on the understanding that the payment
result in a small increase in the size of the LAMS would be at a reduced rate and not paid on
allowance but a significant reduction 'in the termination monies. The Government team does
' administrative burden of calculating the fortnightly not agree that this will result in a significant
variations in the LAMS allowance. This should have reduction in the administration of the allowance. .
no net budQet impact.
5. LAMS allowance and TOIL
we·request that management should provide us Under consideration. The Government team is
with a model of payment that could be offered to looking at cost and agreement arrangements in
staff if they chose to opt out of TOIL. This should place elsewhere. It is worthwhile exploring as an
allow for an increase in the LAMS allowance that alternative for TOIL or for the reduction in the cap
adequately compensates the individual for the on TOIL, particularly for Senior Advisers.
additional hours that they are required to work due However, some form of time recording would still'
to the nature of the employment in this area. This need to occur. There would need to be an agreed
would be revenue neutral as the increase in LAMS mechanism preventing staff who could continue to
allowance would be compensated by the hours of take time off in lieu in addition to receiving the
leave that do not need to be funded and the allowance.
decreased cost of administration due to the removal
of the need to process timesheets for these staff.
However, staff must be offered the choice between Not Agreed. Difficulty in administering two
additional LAMS allowance with no access to TOIL systems, particularly where staff can swap
or the current system with timesheets and access to between them. If there is going to be a change it
TOIL and also be able to change between these would need to apply to all staff, or to specific
schemes once per year to reflect their changing classifications (such as all Senior Advisers and
circumstances. above).