(1386)

SERIAL C0482

 

GREAT SOUTHERN ENERGY ENTERPRISE AWARD 2000

 

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION OF NEW SOUTH WALES

 

Notice of award review pursuant to section 19 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996.

 

(No. IRC 1060 of 2001)

 

 

Before the Honourable Mr Deputy President Harrison

30 May and 21 June 2001

 

 

REVIEWED AWARD

 

1.          COVERAGE AND PARTIES

2.          DATE AND PERIOD OF OPERATION

3.          OBJECTIVES

4.          FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS

5.          ENTERPRISE AGREEMENTS

6.          ANTI DISCRIMINATION

7.          WORKPLACE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES

8.          INTRODUCTION OF CHANGE

9.          GRIEVANCE AND DISPUTES RESOLUTION PROCEDURE

10.        TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

11.        SAFETY DISCIPLINARY AND COUNSELLING PROCEDURE

12.        PART TIME EMPLOYMENT

13.        TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES

14.        CASUAL EMPLOYEES

15.        APPOINTMENTS AND GRADING

16.        MIXED DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS

17.        HOURS OF WORK

18.        PAYMENT

19.        OVERTIME - OTHER THAN FOR SHIFT WORKERS

20.        ON CALL AND STANDING BY

21.        MEAL TIME AND ALLOWANCES

22.        REDUNDANCY

23.        SICK AND CARER’S LEAVE

24.        ANNUAL LEAVE

25.        LONG SERVICE LEAVE

26.        JURY SERVICE

27.        AWARD HOLIDAYS

28.        BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

29.        ACCIDENT PAY

30.        TRAVELLING TIME AND FARES

31.        PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLE - ALLOWANCES

32.        TRADE UNION LEAVE

33.        TRAINING

34.        SUPPLY OF RESIDENCE BY EMPLOYER

35.        LIVING AWAY AND CAMPING ALLOWANCES

36.        FIRST AID ALLOWANCE

37.        WET WEATHER

38.        SHIFT WORK

39.        OUTSOURCING

40.        NO EXTRA CLAIMS

41.        LEAVE RESERVED

42.        GOODS AND SERVICES TAX

43.        AIRCRAFT ALLOWANCE

44.        TOOL ALLOWANCE

45.        AREA CLIMATE ALLOWANCES

46.        RADIO AND COMMUNICATIONS TOWER CLIMBING ALLOWANCE

47.        PRE EXISTING CONDITIONS

48.        CLASSIFICATIONS AND RATES OF PAY

49.        ALLOWANCES - HEADLINE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX ADJUSTMENT

 

PART B

 

1.         COVERAGE AND PARTIES

 

(i)         This award shall apply to Great Southern Energy, of Level 1, City Link Plaza, 30 Morisset Street Queanbeyan New South Wales, and its employees employed in the classifications contained in this award.

 

(ii)        This award governs all employment, wages, and conditions of the employees to whom this award applies.  This award is made following a review under section 19 of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 and replaces the Great Southern Energy Enterprise Award 2000 published 9 March 2001 (322 I.G. 1108) and any other award or agreement that previously applied to employees of Great Southern Energy.

 

(iii)       The parties to this award are Great Southern Energy, the Electrical Trades Union of Australia, New South Wales Branch; the Federated Municipal and Shire Council Employees Union of Australia, New South Wales Division; the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers, Australia, and The Australian Services Union.

 

2.         DATE AND PERIOD OF OPERATION

 

This award published 9 March 2001 took effect on and after the beginning of the first pay period commencing on or after 10 November 2000 and shall remain in force until 30 June 2002 unless varied or terminated as provided for by the Industrial Relations Act 1996.

 

The changes made to the award pursuant to the Award Review pursuant to section 19 (6) of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 and Principle 26 of the Principles for Review of Award made by the Industrial Relations Commission of the New South Wales on 18 December 1998 (308 IG 307) take effect on and from 30 May 2001.

 

3.         OBJECTIVES

 

The parties to this award will work towards the achievement of the following objectives:

 

(i)         Great Southern Energy’s corporate objectives, key performance areas and strategies;

 

(ii)        To be the leading and preferred regional energy carrier and supplier.

 

(iii)       Development of on going career opportunities and the development of training and occupational health and safety programs and policies.

 

(iv)       Commitment to and involvement in Great Southern Energy’s quality service and continuous improvement programs.

 

(v)        Commitment to and involvement in consultative processes for organisational change.

 

(vi)       Commitment to and involvement in the agreed dispute settlement procedure.

 

(vii)      Great Southern Energy is required to operate under a Statement of   Corporate Intent (SCI).  The current SCI requires Great Southern Energy to meet the following targets over the next two years.

 

INDICATOR	30 June 2000 Target	30 June 2001 Target	30 June 2002 Target
EBITDA
(Earnings before	$80.5 million	$71.5 million	$69.7 million
Interest, Tax,
Abnormals and
Depreciation)
OSSI
(Overhead System	93	96	99
Servicability Index -
weighted)
OCE
(Ombudsman	512	320	275
Customer Enquiries)
LTIFR
(Lost Time Injury	4.8	3	2
Frequency Rate)

 

 

The parties to this agreement acknowledge the SCI and its targets and undertake to work in a productive and efficient manner to facilitate, where possible, the achievement of these targets.

 

This award recognises the contributions of all employees for past productivity and efficiency improvements and their ongoing commitment and goodwill.

 

(viii)     To provide terms and conditions of employment in conjunction with Great Southern Energy’s policies with a view to maximising job security.

 

4.         FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS

 

At least three months before the nominal expiry of this award the parties will commence negotiations for a replacement enterprise award. Without limiting the scope of negotiations, annualised salaries, overtime, wage adjustments and other award based flexibility’s will be considered for inclusion in the replacement award:

 

5.         ENTERPRISE AGREEMENTS

 

Enterprise agreements may be entered into, for alternative provisions to those in this award, in accordance with the Industrial Relations Act 1996.

 

6.         ANTI DISCRIMINATION

 

a.          It is the intention of the parties to seek to achieve the object in section 3 (f) of the Industrial Relations Act 1996 to prevent and eliminate discrimination in the workplace. This includes discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, material status, disability, homosexuality, transgender identity and age.

 

b.         It follows that in fulfilling their obligations under the dispute resolution procedure set out in this agreement the parties have obligations to take all necessary steps to ensure that the operation of the provisions of this agreement are not directly or indirectly discriminatory in their effect.

 

c.          Under the Anti- Discrimination Act 1977, it is unlawful to victimize an employee because the employee has made or may make or has bee involved in a complaint or unlawful discrimination or harassment.

 

d.         Nothing in this clause is to be taken to affect:

 

i)          any conduct or act which is specifically exempted from anti-discrimination legislation

 

ii)         offering or providing junior rates of pay to persons under 21 years of age

 

iii)        any act or practice of a body established to propagate religion which is exempted under section 56(d) of the Anti Discrimination Act 1977

 

iv)        a party to this agreement from pursuing matters of unlawful discrimination in any State or Federal jurisdiction

 

e.          This clause does not create legal rights or obligations in addition to those imposed upon the parties by the legislation referred to in this clause.

 

7.         WORKPLACE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEES

 

(i)         Existing Great Southern Energy Staff Consultative Committees shall be used to discuss and develop methods of achieving the objectives of this award, addressing difficulties or impediments to the achievement of those objectives, and developing alternative arrangements permitted under this award or for inclusion in enterprise agreements.

 

(ii)        The form, structure and procedures of consultative committees meetings shall be determined by agreement between Great Southern Energy and the employees.

 

(iii)       Members of consultative committees may seek advice on matters discussed by the consultative committees.

 

(iv)       Consultative committees shall not be utilised in respect of matters which are being or should be processed pursuant to the Grievances and Disputes Settlement procedures.

 

(v)        Senior management and the unions may attend and participate in consultative committee meetings.

 

(vi)       All parties concerned are to be involved in the analysis and decision making about a proposed alternative arrangement.

 

(vii)      Great Southern Energy will take all possible means to ensure that any adverse effect on an employee will be minimised or resolved.

 

(viii)     Employees, their union or Great Southern Energy may initiate the consultative process.

 

8.         INTRODUCTION OF CHANGE

 

(i)         Where Great Southern Energy has made a definite decision to introduce major changes in business processes, organisation, structure or technology that are likely to have significant effects on employees, Great Southern Energy will notify the employees who may be affected by the proposed changes and the unions party to this award.  Such notice shall be given as soon as is reasonably practicable and shall lead to consultation in accordance with Great Southern Energy’s Consultation re Introduction of Organisational Change Policy.

 

(ii)        "Significant effects" include termination of employment, major changes in the composition, operation or size of Great Southern Energy’s workforce or in the skills required; the elimination or diminution of job opportunities, promotion opportunities or job tenure; the offer of contracts to employees employed in award classifications; the alteration of hours of work; the need for retraining or transfer of employees to other work or locations and the restructuring of jobs.

 

(iii)       Great Southern Energy shall discuss with the employees affected and their union or unions, the introduction of the changes, the effect the changes are            likely to have on employees, measures to avert or mitigate any adverse effects on employees and shall give prompt consideration to matters raised by the employees and/or their unions in relation to the changes.

 

(iv)       The discussion shall commence as early as practicable after a firm decision has been made by Great Southern Energy to make changes.

 

(v)        To enable discussion, Great Southern Energy shall provide the employees concerned and their union or unions with relevant information about the changes including the nature of the changes proposed and the expected effect of the changes on employees.  Where an award employee has been offered a contract, a copy of the proposed contract will be forwarded to the appropriate union with the notification in sub clause (i) of this clause.

 

9.         GRIEVANCE AND DISPUTES RESOLUTION PROCEDURE

 

(i)         If a grievance or dispute arises concerning this award or the performance of work, or any matter which could affect the continuity of work, the work shall continue in the usual manner without bans or limitations on the performance of the work while the steps below are followed.

 

Step 1:  The grievance or dispute should first be discussed between the employee or employees concerned and the relevant immediate area or unit supervisor.

 

Step 2:  If the matter is still not settled, the details of the grievance or dispute and the remedy sought should be put in writing and submitted to the relevant supervisor who shall arrange a conference with senior management and if appropriate the local union delegate.

 

Step 3:  If the matter is still not settled, a conference shall be held between an Official of the union and Great Southern Energy’s representative.

 

Step 4:  If the matter is still not settled either party may apply to the Industrial Relations Commission for a conference for the purpose of settling the dispute.

 

(ii)        The union and Great Southern Energy may agree in stating a case for the opinion of an Industrial Tribunal on any question arising under this award.

 

(iii)       Reasonable time limits shall apply for the completion of the various stages with at least five working days being allowed for steps 1 to 3.

 

(iv)       During the grievance and dispute resolution procedure, the work situation that existed prior to the grievance or dispute shall be maintained without prejudice to any party.

 

(v)        Great Southern Energy or a union may make direct representations to one another on any matter giving rise to or likely to give rise to a dispute or grievance.

 

10.       TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

 

(i)         Probationary period:

 

Great Southern Energy, in a letter of offer of employment, may include a probationary period of up to three months and also include scope for extension of the probationary period up to a further three months.  Where the probationary period is extended, the employee shall be given the reasons in writing.

 

(ii)        Notice of Termination:

 

(a)        Great Southern Energy or an employee shall give written notice of termination of employment of not less than four weeks.  The period of notice may be reduced by mutual agreement.

 

(b)        Great Southern Energy may provide payment in lieu of notice or part notice.

 

(c)        Great Southern Energy shall withhold an amount of money from any termination payment due to the employee for the period of notice not given, equal to any period of notice not given by the employee.

 

(d)        The period of notice shall not apply to dismissal for conduct that justifies instant dismissal, including malingering, or neglect of duty, or to casual employees, or temporary employees at the end of the period of temporary employment.

 

(iii)       Time off Work During the Period of Notice

 

During the notice of termination period an employee shall be allowed at least one day off with pay to look for work.  Time off shall be convenient to the employee after consultation with Great Southern Energy.  Further time off may be granted at Great Southern Energy’s discretion.

 

(iv)       Statement of Employment

 

Great Southern Energy shall, give an employee whose employment has been terminated, a written statement specifying the period of employment, the classification and type of work performed by the employee.

 

11.       SAFETY DISCIPLINARY AND COUNSELLING PROCEDURE

 

Great Southern Energy shall apply its safety disciplinary and counselling procedure for the counselling, retraining and downgrading of employees who breach safety standards.

 

12.       PART TIME EMPLOYMENT

 

(i)         A part time employee works less than the number of ordinary hours worked by full time employees.

 

(ii)        Part time employees shall be paid an hourly rate calculated by dividing the appropriate salary by the number of hours worked by full time employees in the same classification.

 

(iii)       A part time employee shall be entitled to award conditions. Annual leave, long service leave and all other authorised leave shall be on a proportional basis as the employee’s average hours of work relate to those worked by full time employees.

 

(iv)       A part time employee shall receive overtime rates for any time worked in excess of the ordinary hours specified for a full time employee.

 

13.       TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES

 

(i)         A temporary employee is employed for a period of not more than twelve months and includes a temporary part-time employee.

 

(ii)        A casual employee shall not be employed as a temporary employee.

 

(iii)       temporary employment shall not be used as alternative to full time employment

 

(iv)       Temporary employees shall be paid the rate of pay for their classification.

 

 

14.       CASUAL EMPLOYEES

 

(i)         A casual employee is engaged intermittently in work of an irregular, occasional and/or unexpected nature, and who is engaged and paid by the hour.

 

(ii)        A casual employee shall be paid the hourly rate of pay for their appropriate classification plus a loading of 20 per cent with a minimum payment of three hours pay for each start.

 

(iii)       The casual loading is in lieu of annual leave, sick leave and award holidays and is not included in the calculation of overtime.

 

15.       APPOINTMENTS AND GRADING

 

(i)         Appointment, promotion and annual incremental progression shall be subject to:

 

(a)        the employee’s satisfactory performance of duties and functions; and

 

(b)        the employee undertaking, employer endorsed training relative to the employee’s duties and functions whenever required.

 

(ii)        Appointment to a classification or grade shall be determined by Great Southern Energy.

 

(iii)       Promotion to a classification, higher grading, accelerated progression, shall be determined by Great Southern Energy having regard for an employee’s duties, functions, responsibilities, skill requirements and work value principles.

 

(iv)       An employee who agrees to work in an equal or lower paid position may be reclassified or regraded to that position. However, the employee’s rate of pay shall not be reduced in the first four weeks after reclassification or regrading. This provision does not apply in cases of reclassification or regrading under clause 21 (ii) of this award.

 

16.       MIXED DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS

 

(i)         Where Great Southern Energy requires, an employee shall:

 

(a)        perform work, duties and functions of or incidental to any classification for which the employee is competent; and

 

(b)        not be paid less than the employee’s usual ordinary rate of pay.

 

(ii)        Higher Paid Work

 

(a)        An employee, who is required to perform for at least one day, the work of a higher paid classification, shall be paid at least the minimum entry rate of that classification, or according to their assessed competence or experience. An employee shall not act in a higher position for more than three months except when relieving an employee on leave.

 

(b)        Higher Pay - Award Holidays

 

Where an award holiday or group of award holidays occurs during a period when an employee is entitled to payment for higher paid work, the higher payment shall also apply to the holiday or group of holidays.

 

(c)        Higher Pay - Periods of Leave

 

Employees shall not be paid higher pay for periods of their leave unless the employee has relieved in the position for at least three months.          

 

(d)        Higher Paid Work - Periods of Training

 

This clause shall not apply to employees who perform the whole or part of higher paid work for the purpose of training and the training is in concert with at least one other employee  and does not exceed three months in the aggregate.

 

(iii)       Where a position has become vacant and is occupied on a temporary basis for more than three months, it shall be advertised.

 

17.       HOURS OF WORK

 

(i)         Spread of Ordinary Hours of Work

 

Great Southern Energy and its employees agree there are three objectives to consider in determining the structure of working hours under this award:

 

(a)        the most efficient production and delivery of the service;

 

(b)        the most effective way of servicing the customer; and

 

(c)        the most effective way of meeting employee's needs for satisfying work, personal development, health and workplace safety.

 

The spread of ordinary hours of work for day workers shall be between 6.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m., Monday to Friday inclusive. This spread of hours may be altered to 5.00 a.m. and 7.00 p.m. by agreement between Great Southern Energy and employees concerned.

 

(ii)        Starting and Finishing Times

 

(a)        Where agreement is reached between Great Southern Energy and an employee or employees, up to eleven ordinary working hours per day may be worked without the payment of overtime. Where an employee’s ordinary hours of work exceed seventy- two in any two-week cycle, the employee shall be paid overtime rates for those hours worked in excess of seventy-two.

 

(b)        The starting and finishing times within the spread of hours shall be determined by Great Southern Energy in consultation with the employees concerned.

 

(iii)       Ordinary Hours of Work - Day Workers

 

(a)        The fortnightly ordinary hours of work for day workers shall be seventy-two per fortnight, to be worked on nine weekdays, in any two week cycle.

 

(b)        Where Great Southern Energy and the unions, in conjunction with the employees concerned, agree, the ordinary hours of work may be worked to a total of one hundred and forty four on nineteen weekdays in any four-week cycle.

 

(iv)       Rostered Days Off

 

(a)        An employee who requests to work a thirty-six-hour, five-day week may, with the consent of Great Southern Energy, do so.

 

(b)        Where an employee’s rostered day off falls on an award holiday, the employee may either take the next working day as a rostered day off or with the consent of Great Southern Energy take another mutually agreed day instead.

 

(c)        Employees at either Great Southern Energy’s request or on their own request and with the approval of Great Southern Energy, may defer and accumulate rostered days off to be taken at a mutually agreed time provided that an employee’s accumulated rostered days off shall not exceed five at any one time.

 

(v)        Ordinary Hours of Work - Shift Workers

 

Except as otherwise provided, the ordinary hours of work for shift workers shall be in a roster cycle, the number of weeks in the cycle multiplied by thirty-six.

 

(vi)       Hours of Work - General

 

It is a consideration for the ordinary hours of work being thirty -six per week that the ordinary hours of work be actual hours worked.

 

(vii)      Alternative Arrangements

 

Great Southern Energy, an employee, or group of employees, may enter into alternative arrangements to those in this clause by mutual agreement.

 

18.       PAYMENT

 

(i)         Employees shall be paid weekly and their pay shall be directly credited to each employee’s nominated bank, building society or credit union account no later than the close of business on the working day prior to pay day. Financial institution duty on all pay directly credited to employee accounts shall be paid by Great Southern Energy.

 

(ii)        An employee may elect to receive an in house benefit in the form of a reduction in electricity accounts and/or purchase of whitegoods up to a total value of $660.00 per annum in lieu of receiving the equivalent amount ($660.00) in wages under this award.

 

(iii)       Great Southern Energy shall, deduct from an employee’s pay, any amounts which the employee authorises in writing being contributions or payments for purposes approved by Great Southern Energy.

 

19.       OVERTIME - OTHER THAN FOR SHIFT WORKERS

 

(i)         Requirement to Work Reasonable Overtime:

 

Where required, employees shall work reasonable overtime.

 

(ii)        Payment for Working Overtime:

 

An employee directed to perform work in excess of the usual ordinary working hours or outside the usual working hours, shall be paid as follows:-

 

(a)        Overtime worked, Monday to midday Saturday, at the ordinary time rate of pay plus one half the ordinary time rate of pay for the first two hours and at double ordinary time rate of pay thereafter.

 

(b)        Overtime worked after midday on Saturdays, at double ordinary time rate of pay.

 

(c)        Overtime worked on a Sunday, at double ordinary time rate of pay until the employee is released from work.

 

(d)        Where, on any day, an employee works overtime immediately prior to the usual commencing time and immediately after the usual ceasing time, the total hours of both periods of overtime shall be taken into account for the purpose of the commencement of double ordinary time rate of pay.

 

(iii)       Payment for Work on a Holiday:

 

An employee who works on an award holiday shall be paid as follows:

 

(a)        Any time worked between the usual commencing and usual ceasing time, at double ordinary time rate of pay in addition to the employee’s ordinary pay for the day.

 

(b)        Any time worked before or after the usual ordinary hours of work, at double ordinary time rate of pay plus one half the ordinary time rate of pay until the employee is released from work.

 

(iv)       Time off In Lieu Of Payment:

 

(a)        An employee may elect, with the consent of Great Southern Energy, to take time off, in lieu of payment for overtime at a time or times agreed with Great Southern Energy.  Time off in lieu shall be on the basis of one hour off for each hour of overtime worked and shall be taken at a mutually agreed time.

 

(b)        Great Southern Energy shall, if requested by an employee, provide payment, at the relevant overtime rate for any overtime worked which was to be taken as time off in lieu and which has not been taken within four weeks of accrual.

 

(v)        Standing By:

 

An employee directed to stand-by to work overtime shall be paid at ordinary time rate of pay from the time of commencement of the stand-by until released from the stand-by or until he commences working overtime.

 

(vi)       Minimum Payment for Recall to Work Overtime:

 

An employee notified at work to start overtime later than one hour after the usual ceasing time, or earlier than two hours before the usual starting time, or an employee notified after finishing work to work overtime shall be paid a minimum of four hours pay at overtime rates.  However, the minimum payment shall not apply where overtime is continuous, including any meal break, with starting or finishing of the employee’s usual working hours.

 

(vii)      Transport of Employees:

 

When an employee, after having worked overtime finishes work at a time when reasonable means of transport are not available, Great Southern Energy shall provide the employee with transport to the employee’s home or pay the employee at the ordinary time rate of payment for reasonable time to travel home.

 

Rest Period After Overtime:

 

(a)        Overtime shall, wherever reasonably practicable, be arranged so that employees have at least ten consecutive hours off duty between the work of successive days.

 

(b)        An employee who works overtime between the usual ceasing time on one day and the usual commencing time next day and who has not had at least ten consecutive hours off duty between those times, shall be released at the end of the overtime until the employee has had ten consecutive hours off duty, without loss of pay, for ordinary working time occurring during the absence.

 

(c)        If Great Southern Energy requires an employee to resume or continue to work without having had ten consecutive hours off duty the employee shall be paid at double ordinary time rate until released from duty for the period and then shall be entitled to be absent until the employee has had ten consecutive hours off duty without loss of pay for ordinary working time occurring during the absence.

 

(d)        These rest period provisions shall not apply where an employee has worked overtime for a period less than four hours.

 

(e)        An employee, recalled to work overtime between eight hours after the employee’s usual ceasing time and 4 a.m. on the following day, shall be entitled to extend the usual commencing time on that following day, without loss of pay, by an equivalent period. If the employee is required to work at the usual starting time, double ordinary time rate of pay shall apply for all time worked during the period by which the employee would have extended the usual starting time.

 

(f)         Commencement of Overtime Period, on Pre-arranged and Emergency Work:

 

Employees who are required to work emergency or pre-arranged overtime, which does not merge with an ordinary day’s work, shall be paid overtime rates either from the time of reporting at the headquarters, depot, & c, or from the time they are picked up by transport until returned to either location at the completion of overtime work.

 

20.       ON CALL AND STANDING BY

 

(i)         On Call and Standing By:

 

(a)        On Call and Stand by Work:

 

An employee designated as "on call and standing by" shall be available for emergency and/or breakdown work outside the employee’s usual hours of duty according to the on call roster.

 

On call and stand by work shall not include overtime which has been pre-arranged prior to an employee’s normal ceasing time, or work which is not emergency and/or breakdown work.

 

(b)        Emergency and Breakdown Work:

 

Emergency and/or breakdown work includes restoring supply and returning to safe operating conditions any plant and equipment. It also includes restoring and/or operating essential IT equipment, opening call centres other than in accordance with normal rosters to attend to high call volumes during emergency conditions.

 

(c)        Call Out:

 

A call-out is the time from which an on call employee receives a call, or calls, for emergency and/or breakdown work, to the time the employee arrives home.   A Call-Out includes work involved on any further calls for service which the employee may receive whilst out on duty or upon arrival at home. A call out does not include ordinary working time which is continuous with a call out.

 

(d)        Availability:

 

An employee on call and standing by shall be in the general vicinity of the on call area for which they are responsible and be contactable at all times and respond to call outs with out undue delay. The employee should not engage in activity or be committed in a way which would prevent the employee immediately responding to a call out.

 

(e)        On Call And Standing By Roster:

 

An employee shall not be required to be constantly available beyond four weeks where other employees are available for duty.  Where no other employees are available for inclusion in an on call and standing by roster, the employee concerned shall have at least one weekend off duty in each four weeks with out reduction in the availability allowance.

 

(f)         Availability Allowance - On Call and Standing By:

 

An on call and standing by employee shall be paid an availability allowance as set in Item 3 of Table 1 of Part B of this award.

 

(g)        Payment for Call-Outs:

 

An on call and standing by employee shall be paid, in addition to the availability allowance, at double ordinary time rate of pay for the time worked on each call-out.

 

The minimum payment for a call-out is one hour at double ordinary time rate of pay.

 

(h)        On Call and Standing By - Telephone Calls:

 

Great Southern Energy provides mobile phones to On Call employees to use whilst on call.

 

Where an employee on call and standing by is self-directed and has not been provide with a mobile phone and is required to have a telephone, installed at the employee’s home, Great Southern Energy shall reimburse the employee, the annual rental of the telephone and the actual charges for all outward calls made on the employer’s behalf.

 

(i)         On Call for IT and Call Centre employees is voluntary.     

 

(ii)        On Call Duty Officer:

 

(a)        On Call Duty Officer - Availability:

 

An On Call Duty Officer, shall remain at home at all times, unless otherwise required in the course of the employee’s duties, or except when allowed to leave home by permission of the Officer-in-Charge.

 

(b)        Duty Officer Roster:

 

An On Call Duty Officer shall not be required to be constantly available beyond a period of four weeks where other employees are available for duty.  Where no other employee is available for inclusion in the On Call Duty Officer roster, the employee concerned shall have at least one weekend off duty in each four weeks without reduction of the On Call Duty Officer Allowance.

 

(c)        On Call Duty Officer Availability Allowance:

 

An On Call Duty Officer shall be paid a Duty Officer availability allowance as set in item 4 of Table 1 of Part B of this award whilst required to act in that capacity.  The Availability Allowance is payment for all work, other than work conducted from a depot.

 

(d)        Role of Duty Officer:

 

An employee designated as an on-call duty officer, after the usual hours of work dispatches the work of calls received for emergency and/or breakdown work, directs employees to respond to those calls, liaises with the Call Centre and On Call employees to ensure operational procedures are complied with.  An on-call duty officer may also attend to emergency and/or breakdown work whilst acting as duty officer when operations are conducted from a depot.

 

(e)        On Call Duty Officer - Payment:

 

An On Call Duty Officer shall be paid, in addition to the On Call Duty Officer availability allowance, double ordinary time rate of pay for the time spent exercising the role of On Call Duty Officer.

 

If the time spent is less than fifteen minutes in the aggregate, in respect of a particular emergency and or breakdown event, the minimum payment shall be fifteen minutes at double ordinary time rate of pay.

 

(iii)       Officer-in-Charge:

 

(a)        Role of Officer in Charge:

 

An employee designated as an Officer-in-Charge, shall be available at all times after the usual hours of work to take charge of major emergency and/or breakdown work. An Officer-in-Charge who attends emergency and/or breakdown work shall at all times ensure that satisfactory arrangements are made so that the Officer-in-Charge may be contacted without undue delay.

 

(b)        Availability Allowance - Officer in Charge:

 

An Officer-in-Charge shall be paid an availability allowance as set it item 5 of Table 1 of Part B of this award whilst so engaged.

 

(c)        Emergency and/or Breakdown Work - Officer-in-Charge:

 

An Officer-in-Charge shall be paid in addition to the availability allowance, double ordinary time rate of pay for all time spent attending emergency and/or breakdown work.

 

(d)        Officer in Charge - Availability:

 

An Officer-in-Charge shall not be required to be constantly available beyond a period of four weeks where other employees are available for duty.  Where no other employees are available for inclusion in an Officer-in-Charge roster, the employee concerned shall have at least one weekend off duty in each four weeks, without reduction of the availability allowance paid.

 

(iv)       Allowances - General:

 

(a)        Payment During Periods of Leave:

 

Allowances paid under this clause shall continue to be paid to an employee during annual leave, long service leave, sick leave and worker’s compensation, provided the employee has been on call and standing by or has been acting as a Duty Officer or Officer-in-Charge, either constantly or on a roster, for at least one month immediately prior to the leave.

 

(b)        Other Allowances:

 

Employees on call and standing by shall be entitled to all other allowances prescribed by this award as may be applicable.

 

(c)        Calculation of a Week or Part Thereof:

 

The allowances prescribed by this clause relate to a full week of seven days.  Where the on call duties of an employee do not cover a whole week, the allowances shall be calculated and paid on the basis of one fifth of the amount for each or part ordinary working day, and one quarter of the amount for each or part Saturday, Sunday and/or Award Holiday. An on call period occurs on a Saturday, Sunday or Award Holiday if the major part of the on call and standing by period occurs on those any of those days.

 

(d)        Rosters:

 

Where an employee works to a roster, the allowance shall be divided by the proportion of the number of weeks on duty in any rolling period and paid in equal amounts for each week in the period. An employee required to perform extra duty at any time during their usual rostered off period, shall receive additional payment for the extra duty in accordance with this clause.

 

(v)        Rest Period - After work:

 

(a)        An employee who is required to work during the period of eight hours immediately before the employee’s usual commencing time, shall be entitled, without loss of pay, to defer the commencing time, if the employee so elects, by a period equal to the actual time worked within those hours.

 

(b)        Where Great Southern Energy’s requires an employee to commence work at the usual starting time, the employee shall be paid at double ordinary rates for the period of time the employee worked by which the employee otherwise would have deferred the usual starting time.

 

(vi)       Work on a Award holiday:

 

(a)        For each award holiday an employee is required to be on call and standing by, or to serve as a Duty Officer, or the Officer in Charge, the employee shall have one day added to their annual leave.

 

21.       MEAL TIME AND ALLOWANCES

 

(i)         Meal Breaks:

 

(a)        An employee shall not be compelled to work for more than five hours without a break for a meal.

 

(b)        Employees shall be allowed an unbroken meal break of not less than thirty minutes without pay on each ordinary working day.  Employees shall be granted a paid ten minute morning tea break.

 

(c)        The provisions of this sub-clause may be applied to shift workers when working on a day shift which falls within the ordinary hours of work for day workers.

 

(ii)        Meal Times - Shift Workers:

 

Shift workers shall be allowed in each ordinary working shift, a meal crib time of twenty minutes, which shall be treated as part of the shift and paid for accordingly.

 

(iii)       Meal Times:

 

The times fixed for the taking of meal breaks during an ordinary working day or ordinary rostered shifts may vary for groups or individual employees, as may be necessary for Great Southern Energy’s business or the management and best use of any mealtime facilities and equipment provided.

 

(iv)       Working in Usual Break:

 

(a)        An employee’s usual meal break time may, by mutual agreement, be varied temporarily or shortened in special circumstances rather than on a regular basis.

 

(b)        An employee not notified at least the day prior that they are required to work through their usual meal time shall be paid ordinary time and a half for the period by which their meal break is deferred.

 

(v)        Overtime Meal Breaks:

 

An employee required to work overtime shall have a twenty-minute meal break at the appropriate overtime rate on the following basis:

 

(a)        After one and one half hours or more overtime immediately following the employee’s usual finishing time. The meal break may be taken my mutual arrangement at the commencement of or during the overtime period.

 

(b)        After each period of four hours of overtime worked, meal breaks shall be taken during the overtime period by mutual arrangements.  An employee shall not be compelled to work overtime for more than five hours without a meal break.

 

(c)        Paid meal breaks are time worked for the purpose of calculating overtime.

 

(d)        Meal breaks may be extended to not more than one hour, provided that any extension beyond twenty minutes shall be taken without pay.

(e)        An employee entitled to a meal break shall be paid a meal allowance as set in item 6 of Table 1of Part B of this award:

 

(f)         An employee who either works two hours or more prior to normal working hours or works overtime which is broken by a period of ordinary working hours or rostered shift, and the overtime in the aggregate is two hours or more, the employee shall be entitled to a meal allowance as set in item 6 of Table 1 of Part B of this award. This entitlement does not entitle the employee to a meal break.

 

(vi)       Shift Work Overtime:

 

Meal breaks during periods of overtime and the payment of meal allowances shall apply to shift workers required to work overtime except where, by an approved arrangement made between employees or at their request, excess time is incurred in changed shifts or in their ordinary rostered shifts.

 

(vii)      On-Call Included:

 

Meal breaks and meal allowances shall apply to employees engaged in on-call and standing by work.

 

22.       REDUNDANCY

 

(i)         Where Great Southern Energy has made a definite decision that an employee’s job is redundant, Great Southern Energy shall hold discussion with the employee directly affected and their union.

 

Discussions are to identify alternatives to redundancy including transfers to other work, retraining and voluntary redundancy programs. The parties to this award agree that there shall not be any forced redundancies during the life of this award.

 

For the purposes of the discussion Great Southern Energy shall, as soon as practicable, provide to the employees concerned and their union or unions, all relevant information about the proposed redundancy including the reasons for, the number and categories of employees likely to be affected, and the number of workers normally employed and the period over which the retrenchments are likely to occur. Great Southern Energy shall not be required to disclose confidential information which is not in its business interests.

 

(ii)        Where an employee is transferred to lower paid duties as an alternative to redundancy, the employee shall be entitled to four weeks notice of transfer and the prevailing salary maintenance program as agreed between the unions and Great Southern Energy will be applied.

 

(iii)       Where a business is, before or after the date of this award, transmitted to Great Southern Energy and an employee who as a result of the transmission transfers to Great Southern Energy,

 

(a)        the continuity of the employment of the employee shall be unbroken because of a transmission; and

 

(b)        the period of employment which the employee had with the transmitter or any prior transmitter shall be service with Great Southern Energy.

 

(iv)       During the period of notice of termination given by Great Southern Energy an employee shall be allowed at least one day’s time off without loss of pay during each week of notice for the purpose of seeking other employment.

 

(v)        An employee who has accepted an offer of redundancy shall be paid:

 

(a)        four weeks pay in lieu of notice;

 

(b)        Two weeks pay for each year of service up to a maximum of twenty-six weeks pay.

 

(c)        An additional acceptance payment, if a severance offer is accepted within two weeks of the written offer, as follows:

 

Period of Continuous Service                                     Severance Pay

 

Less than one year                                                       2 weeks pay

One year and less than two years                              4 weeks’ pay

Two years and less than three years                         6 weeks’ pay

Three years or more                                                     8 weeks’ pay

 

"Weeks’ pay" means the ordinary time rate of pay for the employee concerned.

 

(vi)       In addition to the above payments, an employee who has a preserved balance of sick leave under Clause 22 (iii) (a) of this award shall be paid for that preserved balance of sick leave.

 

(vii)      An employee may terminate employment during a period of notice and, if so, shall be entitled to the same benefits and payments under this clause had the employee remained with Great Southern Energy until the expiry of the notice.

 

(viii)     This clause shall not apply where employment is terminated as a consequence of conduct that justifies instant dismissal, including malingering, inefficiency or neglect of duty, in the case of temporary employees, casual employees or apprentices.

 

23.       SICK AND CARER’S LEAVE

 

(i)         Sick Leave

 

An employee who is absent from work on account of personal illness or accident, not being due to serious misconduct or on account of injury by accident arising out of and in the course of employment, shall be entitled to sick leave without deduction of pay subject to the following conditions and limitations -

 

(a)        The employee shall be required to produce or forward, within twenty-four hours of the beginning of an absence, evidence satisfactory to Great Southern Energy that the absence was due to personal illness or accident, not being injury arising out of and in the course of the employee’s employment, sufficient to prevent the performance of normal duties.

 

(b)        An employee shall where possible notify Great Southern Energy, within one hour of the employee’s usual starting time of the employee’s inability to attend on account of illness or injury and advise Great Southern Energy of the estimated duration of absence.

 

(c)        An employee with less than twelve month’s service with Great Southern Energy shall be entitled to eight days paid sick leave during the first twelve months of service.

 

(d)        An employee with more than twelve month’s service with Great Southern Energy shall be entitled to paid sick leave when sick or injured.  However, in cases of long term illness, Great Southern Energy will consult with the employee, the employee’s medical adviser and the employee’s union. Great Southern Energy may refer the employee to a nominated medical practitioner after a period of six months absence to determine the likelihood of the employee returning to work.

 

(e)        Where it has been established, on medical advice, that the employee is unlikely to return to work because of the employee’s illness or injury, Great Southern Energy may terminate the employee’s service and pay to the employee, in addition to other termination of employment entitlements, an amount equivalent to two weeks pay for each year of service with Great Southern Energy up to a maximum of twenty six weeks pay plus four weeks pay in lieu of notice.

 

(f)         A consideration for the implementation of the sick leave program is that Great Southern Energy will case manage sick leave.  Where an employee’s sick leave requires case management, Great Southern Energy will advise the employee’s union at the commencement of the case management.

 

(ii)        Avoidance of Duplicate Benefits

 

An employee, who has been granted paid sick leave and who in respect of the period of leave receives compensation under any Act or law shall reimburse Great Southern Energy from that compensation, amounts paid for the leave.

 

(iii)       Sick leave accumulated up to 30 June 1997

 

(a)        Each employee with accumulated untaken sick leave at 30 June, 1997, shall have that balance of sick leave preserved and it shall be available to an employee whose employment is terminated on medical advice or when the employee retires permanently from the workforce and the retirement would have qualified the employee to payment under the provisions of the County Councils (Electricity Undertakings) Conditions of Employment Award had the employee still been employed under that award, and whether or not that Award is in existence at the time of the employee’s retirement, or when the employee dies in which case the employee’s legal representative shall be paid the preserved accumulated balance.

 

(b)        Where an employee voluntarily retires permanently from the workforce or terminates employment on medical advice that the employee will not return to work, the termination of employment, for the purpose of sick leave only, will notionally occur on the date on which the employee’s preserved balance of sick leave would be exhausted.

 

(iv)       Illness During Annual and Long Service Leave

 

An employee who becomes sick or is injured for a period of at least seven consecutive days whilst on annual or long service leave and produces at the time satisfactory medical evidence that the employee is unable to derive benefit from the leave, the employee may be granted, at a time convenient to Great Southern Energy, additional leave equivalent to the period of sickness or injury.

 

(v)        Personal Carer’s Leave

 

(a)        An employee, other than a casual employee, shall have access to personal carer’s leave with pay to provide short-term care and support for immediate family members when they are ill.  Personal carer’s leave is not long term indefinite leave and only applies where no other carer is available and until alternative arrangements can be made.  The employee is obligated to put in place alternative care arrangements as soon as possible.

 

(b)        Except for periods of personal carer’s leave of one day or less than one day, an employee accessing carer’s leave shall, if required, establish by the production of a medical certificate that the person requires the care of another person. Great Southern Energy may, as an alternative to a medical certificate, require a statutory declaration. An employee who needs to take personal carer’s leave should notify their supervisor as soon as possible.

 

(c)        Personal carer’s leave may be taken for part of a single day.

 

(d)        The management of personal carer’s leave will be in accordance with Great Southern Energy’s policy.

 

(e)        Immediate family members include:

 

the employee’s spouse or de facto spouse;

 

a child, adult child, adopted child, step child, foster child or ex nuptial child of the employee or of the spouse or defacto spouse of the employee;

a parent, foster parent, legal guardian, grand parent, grand child, or sibling of the employee or spouse or de facto spouse of the employee;

 

a same sex partner who lives with the employee on a bona fide domestic basis; and,

 

any other relative of the employee who is a member of the same household as the employee.

 

24.       ANNUAL LEAVE

 

Annual leave shall be provided and taken in accordance with the Annual Holidays Act 1944 (as amended).

 

25.       LONG SERVICE LEAVE

 

(i)         Amount of Leave

 

Great Southern Energy shall grant each employee, long service leave on full pay after each period of continuous service on the following basis:

 

Length of Service                                Quantum of Leave

 

After 10 years                                      13 weeks

Between 10 and 15 years                    1.7 weeks per year

Between 15 and 20 years                    2.7 weeks per year

After 20 years                                      2.6 weeks per year

 

(ii)        Accrual of Leave

 

Long service leave shall accrue during a period of continuous service on a basis proportionate to the scale of leave set out above.

 

(iii)       Taking of Leave

 

An employee shall not be entitled to take any period of long service leave until the employee has completed ten years service. The taking of long service leave shall be at a time convenient to, and by mutual arrangement with Great Southern Energy, but at the discretion of the employee.

 

(iv)       Fragmented Leave

 

Long service leave when due, may, with the approval of Great Southern Energy, be taken in separate periods of not less than one week.

 

(v)        Notice of Leave

 

An employee shall apply for long service leave by giving at least one month’s notice of the date the employee wishes to commence leave.

 

(vi)       Continuous Service

 

Continuous service shall be the period from the date of commencement to the date of termination of employment and shall include:

 

(a)        For employees employed by Great Southern Energy at 1 January, 1997 who had been credited for employment with a city, municipality, shire or county district, or local government body or electricity distributor or for employment in New South Wales with any person or corporation which has supplied electricity to the public under franchise agreement in accordance with the New South Wales Local Government Act.

 

(b)        All approved paid leave

 

(c)        Previous employment with Great Southern Energy.

 

(d)        Employment as a part-time employee.

 

Periods which shall not be included in the calculation of continuous service are unapproved unpaid absences, absence on maternity leave and leave with out pay.

 

(vii)      Discharged Entitlements

 

Long service leave shall be subject to the deduction of any period of long service leave already taken and/or the period of long service represented by any payment in lieu thereof made to the employee upon termination of employment in respect of any service counted in accordance with this clause.

 

(viii)     Payment

            

(a)        Allowances

 

An employee who regularly receives payment of on-call and standing by allowances, tool allowances, shift allowances, and leading hand allowance will receive payment of those allowances during periods of long service leave on the same basis of payment or average payment to the employee in the four week (twelve month for leading hands) period prior to the date of commencement of the leave.

 

(b)        Full Pay

 

During a period of long service leave, an employee shall be paid, in addition to allowances, the employee’s rate of pay which the employee would have received for the period had the employee not been on leave.

 

(c)        Payment Before Leave

 

An employee shall be entitled to receive payment for the full period of long service leave prior to the date upon which leave commences.

 

(ix)       Award Holidays Excluded

 

Long service leave shall be exclusive of award holidays which occur during the leave.

 

(x)        Termination of Employment

 

(a)        Ten Years

 

Where an employee has completed at least ten years continuous service and the employee’s employment is terminated for any reason, or the employee dies, Great Southern Energy shall pay to the employee or the employee’s legal representative, the monetary equivalent of the employee’s accrued long service leave.

 

(b)        Short Service

 

Where an employee has completed at least five years service and employment is terminated by Great Southern Energy for any reason, or by the employee on account of illness, incapacity or other domestic or pressing necessity, or by reason of death Great Southern Energy shall pay to the employee or the employee’s legal representative the monetary equivalent of the employee’s accrued long service leave.

 

(c)        Payment on Termination

 

On termination of employment, an employee shall be paid the ordinary rate of pay, excluding allowances, for the accrued long service leave.

 

(xi)       No Payment in Lieu

 

An employee shall not be paid in lieu of long service leave except on termination of employment.

 

26.       JURY SERVICE

 

(i)         An employee shall notify Great Southern Energy as soon as possible of the date upon which they are required to attend for jury service. Employees shall be granted jury service leave with out loss of pay.

 

(ii)        An employee shall be paid by Great Southern Energy the difference between the jury service fee received and the employee’s ordinary time rate of pay for jury service during the employee’s usual ordinary working hours.

 

(iii)       An employee required to attend for jury service during a period of annual leave shall, on application be credited with annual leave at a subsequent date, for the period during which the employee would have been on annual leave had the employee not been on jury service.

 

27.       AWARD HOLIDAYS

 

(i)         Holidays:

 

All full-time, part-time and temporary employees shall be entitled to the following days as award holidays without loss of pay.

 

(a)        Any day proclaimed as a State wide public holiday.

 

(b)        The Great Southern Energy employees’ union picnic day, to be held on a day mutually agreed between Great Southern Energy and the employees.  Provided that a reasonable level of customer service is to be provided on the day.

 

(ii)        Employee Absent Prior to and after Award Holiday

 

An employee who is absent from duty without the approval of Great Southern Energy on the working day prior to and the working day following an award holiday shall not be entitled to payment for the holiday.

 

(iii)       Award Holiday during Leave of Absence

 

Where an employee is granted leave without pay by Great Southern Energy which exceeds five consecutive working days or shifts the employee shall not be entitled to payment for any award holiday which occurs during that period.

 

(iv)       Award Holiday on Shift Worker’s Rostered Day Off

 

If an award holiday occurs on an employee’s rostered day off under a shift roster system, then the rostered day off must be paid for at ordinary rate or another rostered day off allowed.

 

28.       BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

 

(i)         Where an employee’s immediate family member dies, the employee, subject to providing evidence satisfactory to the employer of the relationship and death, shall be entitled to bereavement leave without loss of pay for any unworked part of an ordinary working day or rostered shift during which the employee was notified of the death and  up to a further two ordinary working days or ordinary shifts.

 

(ii)        Immediate family member includes a spouse, a former spouse, a de facto spouse and a former de facto spouse, a child or an adult child an adopted child, a step child or an ex nuptial child, parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling of the employee.

 

29.       ACCIDENT PAY

(i)

(a)        An employee, after a period or periods of worker’s compensation totalling 26 weeks, shall be entitled to accident pay for a further period of absence, or absences up to a period of 26 weeks of incapacity.  Accident pay is not payable for the first 26 weeks of period of incapacity.

 

(b)        "Accident Pay" shall mean a weekly payment of an amount representing the difference between the amount of compensation to which the employee would be entitled to under the Workers’ Compensation Act, 1987, as amended and the employee’s ordinary rate of pay.

 

(c)        Accident pay shall only be payable in respect of a period or periods of any incapacity of an employee while the employee remains in the employment of Great Southern Energy.

 

(d)        An employee shall not be entitled to the payment of accident pay in respect of any period of paid annual leave, sick leave, long service leave or for any paid award holiday in accordance with the appropriate award provisions.

 

(ii)        An employee shall upon receiving an injury for which the employee claims to be entitled to receive accident pay, give notice in writing of the injury and how it happened, as soon as possible, to Great Southern Energy.  An employee shall provide in writing all other information as Great Southern Energy may reasonably require.

 

(iii)       Great Southern Energy may require an employee to have a medical examination by a legally qualified medical practitioner, provided and paid for by Great Southern Energy. An employee, who refuses a medical examination, shall have their accident pay suspended until an examination has taken place.

 

(iv)       An employee shall not be entitled to receive accident pay if the employee fails to comply with a request by Great Southern Energy to give Great Southern Energy -

 

(a)        An undertaking that if the employee obtains a verdict for damages against Great Southern Energy in respect of any injury or is paid an amount in settlement of any claim for damages that the employee has made against Great Southern Energy in respect of the injury, the employee will immediately upon receipt of payment or upon receipt of payment by the employee’s agent of a verdict for damages or amount in settlement of the claim, repay to Great Southern Energy the amount of accident pay which Great Southern Energy has paid or may pay in respect of the injury and an authority for Great Southern Energy alternatively to deduct the amount of the accident pay from any money owing or which may become owing from Great Southern Energy to the employee under a verdict or settlement;

 

(b)        An undertaking that where the injury was caused under the circumstances creating a liability in a third party to pay damages in respect thereof and the employee obtains a verdict for damages or is paid an amount of money in settlement of any claims for damages he has made against that third party he will out of the verdict or amount of money repay to Great Southern Energy the amount of accident pay which Great Southern Energy has paid or may pay in respect of the injury; and

 

(c)        An irrevocable authority addressed to any third party requiring the third party out of any verdict which may be obtained by the employee against the third party or any amount of money payable to the employee in settlement of any claim for damages made against the third party to pay to Great Southern Energy the amount of accident pay which Great Southern Energy has paid or may pay to the employee.

 

30.       TRAVELLING TIME AND FARES

 

(i)         Usual Travel Time:

 

Usual travel time means and includes the period of time which would usually be involved in travelling to and from an employee’s residence and place of employment to attend for work on each ordinary working day or ordinary rostered shift and by a mode of transport or travelling which would usually be chosen.

 

(ii)        Payment for Usual Travelling Time:

 

Usual travel time shall be incurred at the employee’s own expense and in the employee’s own time without payment by Great Southern Energy.

 

(iii)       Excess Travel Time:

 

Excess travel time means and includes the period of extra time involved in travelling outside the ordinary hours of work in excess of the usual travel time, where -

 

(a)        The employee worked overtime which, because of the earlier time of starting and/or the later time of finishing, the period of usual travel was increased.

 

(b)        The employee was recalled to work overtime which involved additional journeys between the employee’s home and place of employment in excess of the number usually made.

 

(c)        The employee worked overtime on other than an ordinary working day or ordinary rostered shift which involved additional journeys between the employee’s home and place of employment in excess of the number usually made.

 

(d)        The employee was required on an occasional or temporary basis to work at a place of employment or location other than the employee’s usual place of employment and the period of usual travel time was increased.

 

(e)        The employee was transferred from one place of employment to another and the period of usual travel time was increased.

 

(f)         The employee was required on an ordinary working day or ordinary rostered shift to undertake additional travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment which involved additional journeys in excess of the number usually made;

 

(iv)       Payment for Excess Travel Time:

 

(a)        Excess travel time incurred Monday to Friday inclusive (but not on an award holiday or rostered day off) shall be paid for at the employee’s ordinary time rate.

 

(b)        Excess travel time incurred on a Saturday or Sunday or rostered day off (but not on an award holiday) shall be paid for at the employee’s ordinary time rate plus one half.

 

(c)        Excess travel time on an award holiday shall be paid for at the employee’s ordinary time rate plus one half.  However, any travelling time which occurred during the period which would have been the employee’s ordinary hours of work had the day not been an award holiday shall be paid for at the employee’s ordinary time rate only.

 

(v)        At Work Travel Time:

 

At work travel time means and includes -

 

(a)        the period of time involved in travelling during the employee’s ordinary working hours or ordinary rostered shifts; and/or

 

(b)        the additional period of time involved by an employee outside the employee’s ordinary working hours or ordinary rostered shifts, by which the period of usual travel time was increased because the employee was required to work in the field or at customers’ premises and to commence and/or cease work at a location other than the employee’s place of employment.

 

(vi)       Payment for At Work Travel Time:

 

At work travel time shall be calculated and paid for the appropriate overtime or ordinary time rate applicable at the time when the travel occurred.

 

(vii)      Place of Employment:

 

Place of employment means and includes -

 

(a)        The location to which an employee is attached and at which the employee is regularly required to work and/or use as a base or headquarters.

 

(b)        Any camp site or place of temporary accommodation at, or out of, which an employee is required to work on a temporary basis during periods of camping or living away from home.

 

(viii)     Nearest Place of Employment:

 

An employee who has not been attached to a place of employment and whose daily work place is determined by the situation of the work on which the employee is engaged shall be the place of employment nearest to the employee’s home.

 

(ix)       Change in Place of Work:

 

An employee who has been transferred from one place of employment to another shall be entitled to payment for any additional fares and excess travel time for a period of six calendar months from the date of the transfer.  This provision shall not apply to any additional fares or excess travel due to the employee having since changed place of residence or where the transfer is due to the employee having applied for and obtained another position, or is the result of the employee’s request for transfer.

 

(x)        Payment of Fares:

 

The employee shall be reimbursed for any additional fares which the employee has reasonably incurred in respect of a period of excess travel time or at-work travel time. 

 

(xi)       Use of Private Vehicle:

 

An employee who claims and undertakes excess travel in a private motor vehicle shall receive, in addition to payment for travelling time, reimbursement at the rate of the allowance provided by clause 32, Private Motor Vehicle Allowances of this award.

 

(xii)      Reasonable Travelling:

 

When calculating travelling time, the most reasonable way and the most expeditious route available will be used.

 

(xiii)     Travel Within Minimum Period:

 

An employee entitled to a minimum period payment for overtime or other penalty work shall not be entitled to payment for travelling time during that minimum period.

 

(xiv)     On-call Excluded:

 

This clause does not apply to travelling involved in after-hours on-call and standing by emergency service work.

 

31.       PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLE - ALLOWANCES

 

An employee who by arrangement uses a privately owned motor vehicle at work shall be paid the relevant Australian Tax Office kilometre rate.

 

32.       TRADE UNION LEAVE

 

(i)         An employee may make application to Great Southern Energy for paid leave to attend a trade union courses/conferences. 

 

Great Southern Energy’s approval of an application for leave is subject to:

 

(a)        The taking of the leave shall be dependant upon Great Southern Energy being able to make adequate staffing arrangements.

 

(b)        Training courses/conferences are for union delegates/ workplace representatives.

 

(c)        Written application and at least six weeks notice, or other period as agreed, is to be given by the employee.

 

(d)        Paid leave will not incur any other payment other than the employee’s ordinary rate of pay.

 

(e)        An employee must have at least one year’s service with Great Southern Energy before leave can be granted.

 

(f)         An annual non-cumulative pool of paid leave up to a maximum of 30 days will be provided by Great Southern Energy for employees to use for trade union leave. Additional leave may be granted subject to approval.

 

(g)        Unions that are parties to this Award shall provide a complete list of union delegates/workplace representatives.

 

33.       TRAINING

 

(i)         Great Southern Energy will ensure that training and skill development is to be directed to:

 

(a)        developing a more highly skilled and flexible workforce;

 

(b)        providing employees with career opportunities through  skill acquisition; and

 

(c)        removing barriers to the utilisation of skills acquired.

 

(ii)        So that employees have the skill, competence and training to perform duties and functions, they shall undertake and complete employer endorsed training relevant to their duties and functions. Great Southern Energy shall meet all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by employees in undertaking training.

 

(iii)       An employee who is required to undertake travel outside the ordinary hours of work to attend employer endorsed training shall be paid at ordinary time rate of pay for the actual reasonable time spent in that travel.  This Sub-clause shall not apply to apprentices in relation to TAFE trade certificate attendances.

 

34.       SUPPLY OF RESIDENCE BY EMPLOYER

 

Where an employee is provided with a residence by Great Southern Energy (with or without concessions), the weekly value of the residence (and concessions) shall be agreed upon from time to time between the employee and employer

 

35.       LIVING AWAY AND CAMPING ALLOWANCES

 

(i)         An employee required to work at a distance from the employee’s home and required to remain at that location overnight:

 

(a)        shall be provided with suitable accommodation, of at least an NRMA three star rating, if available;

 

(b)        in addition shall be paid a living away allowances as set in item 8 of Table 1 of Part B of this award for lunch and dinner. The employee shall also be reimbursed for any authorised incidental expenses.

 

(ii)        An employee required to work at a distance from the employee’s home and required to remain at that location overnight, and there being no alternative accommodation available at that place, shall be provided with adequate camping facilities and in addition shall be paid, in addition to the living away allowance, a camping allowance for incidental expenses and inconvenience as set in item 8 of Table 1 of Part B of this award per night for each night the employee is required to remain away.

 

36.       FIRST AID ALLOWANCE

 

(i)         Great Southern Energy will encourage all employees to obtain a first aid certificate and will meet the costs of obtaining and renewing the certificate.

 

(ii)        An employee designated by Great Southern Energy as a first aid attendant shall be paid the weekly allowance as set in item 10 of table 1 of Part B of this award.

 

37.       WET WEATHER

 

Where because of wet weather, an employee stops work, the employee shall be paid for time not worked provided the employee:

 

(a)        remains at work until directed to leave work;

 

(b)        stands by as directed; and

 

(c)        reports for duty as directed.

 

38.       SHIFT WORK

 

(i)         Shift work means any work which is to be performed in accordance with a shift work roster arranged in any of the following ways:

 

(a)        Rotating Roster: comprising two or more shifts in each day worked on an alternating or rotating weekly basis and with one of the shifts being a day shift falling within the spread of ordinary hours of work for the day workers provided for under this award.

 

(b)        Afternoon Shift:  as part of a rotating roster shall finish after 6 p.m. but not later than midnight.

 

(c)        Night Shift: as part of a rotating roster shall finish after midnight but not later than 8.00 a.m.

 

(d)        Early Morning Shift:  as part of a rotating shift shall commence after 5.20 a.m. and before 6.20 a.m.

 

(e)        Permanent Afternoon or Night Shift:  comprising only one permanent shift to be worked each afternoon or each night and not rotating or alternating with any other span of hours.

 

(f)         Five Day Roster: either a rotating shift work roster or a permanent afternoon or night shift roster which contains shifts on a five-day basis; Monday to Friday, inclusive.

(g)        Seven-Day Roster: either a rotating shift work roster or a permanent afternoon or night shift roster which contains shifts on a seven-day basis involving each and every day of the week.

 

(ii)        Shift Allowance - Rotating Rosters:

 

A shift worker engaged on a rotating shift work roster shall, in addition to the ordinary time rate of payment for the employee’s classification, be paid for afternoon, night and early morning shift allowances as set in item 7 of Table 1 of Part B of this award.

 

(iii)       Shift Allowance - Permanent Night or Afternoon Shifts:

 

A shift worker engaged on a permanent afternoon shift or permanent night shift shall be paid a thirty percent shift allowance in addition to the ordinary time rate of payment.

 

(iv)       Saturday, Sunday and Award Holiday Rates:

 

(a)        A shift worker, who works an ordinary rostered shift (as part of a rotating or permanent shift roster) on a Saturday, Sunday or Award Holiday shall be paid as follows -

 

Saturdays - ordinary time rate plus one half the ordinary time rate.

 

Sundays and Award Holidays - double ordinary time rate.  The rates provided by this paragraph are in lieu of any other shift allowance provided by this award.

 

(b)        A shift worker who works an ordinary rostered shift on a award holiday or is rostered off duty on a award holiday (except when taken as such), shall be entitled to add to the annual leave to which the employee becomes entitled under this award, one day in respect of each award holiday so concerned.

 

(c)        For the purpose of the preceding paragraphs in determining whether a shift has been worked or occurs on a Saturday, Sunday or Award Holiday it shall be deemed that the shift has been worked or occurs the day on which the major part of the shift occurs.

 

(v)        Overtime:

 

(a)        A shift worker required to work in excess of the ordinary hours of a  rostered shift, on the day upon which he has been rostered on, shall be paid for the excess hours as follows -

 

On other than Sundays and Award Holidays - at ordinary time rate plus one half for the first two hours and double ordinary time rate thereafter. All time worked after 12 noon on Saturday shall be at double ordinary time rate.

 

On Sundays - double ordinary time rate.

 

On Award Holidays - double ordinary time plus one half the ordinary time rate until the employee is released from overtime duty.

 

Shift workers who, by arrangement between themselves or at their request, work in excess of the hours of rostered shifts or change shift shall not, as a result of the arrangement, be entitled to payment of overtime for excess hours or changed shifts. Such arrangement shall be with the approval of Great Southern Energy.

 

(b)        A shift worker directed to stand-by in readiness to work overtime shall be paid at ordinary time rate from the time the employee commenced stand-by until released, or until the employee is directed to proceed to take up overtime work.

 

(c)        A shift worker who works during any portion of a shift rostered day off, whether within the ordinary hours of the shift which the employee is required to work or in excess of the hours of the shift, shall be paid at double ordinary time rate, except when the work is carried out on a rostered "day off" being a award holiday, or where a change from one roster to another or a change of shifts within the roster has occurred, or except for ordinary working hours where a change of shifts has been made by arrangement between or at the request of employees.

 

If a rostered "day-off" on which a shift worker works is an award holiday, double ordinary time rate plus one half the ordinary time rate shall be paid and shall be inclusive of the ordinary rate in respect of any time worked on the award holiday within the hours prescribed for the employee’s last rostered shift occurring before the rostered "day-off".

 

(d)        A shift worker, recalled to work overtime after leaving work (whether notified before or after leaving work) or required to work during a portion of the day upon which the employee has been rostered "off" shall be entitled to a minimum of four hours pay at the appropriate overtime rate for each time the employee is recalled or required to work.  Except in unforeseen circumstances, a shift worker shall not be required to work the full four hours if the work  is completed within a shorter period.  This paragraph shall not apply where the overtime is continuous (subject to a reasonable meal break) with the completion or commencement of a shift upon which the shift worker is rostered to work.

 

Overtime worked in the circumstances specified in this paragraph shall not be regarded as overtime for the purpose of paragraph (h), of this sub-clause, where the actual time worked is less than four hours on a recall. For the purpose of this sub-clause "recalled to work" shall mean -

 

(1)        a direction given to an employee to commence overtime work at a specified time which is two hours or more prior to the employee commencing a shift or one hour or more after the completion of a shift upon which the employee has worked;  or

 

(2)        notification given to an employee after completion of the employee’s shift, directing the employee to commence overtime work.

 

(e)        A shift worker entitled to payment for over-time under the provisions of paragraph (a), (c) or (d), of this sub-clause, shall not, in respect of the overtime, be entitled to payment of the shift allowances prescribed by sub-clauses (ii) and (iii) of this clause.

 

(f)         When a shift worker, after having worked overtime or on a shift for which the employee has not been regularly rostered, finishes work at a time when reasonable means of transport are not available, Great Southern Energy shall provide the employee with transport to the employee’s home or pay the employee at the ordinary time rate of payment for the time reasonably taken to reach home.  This paragraph shall apply also to shift workers working on shifts which have been changed as a result of arrangements made between themselves or at their own request but only in respect of overtime.

 

(g)        Overtime shall, wherever reasonably practicable, be arranged so shift workers have at least ten consecutive hours off work between the work of successive rostered shifts.  A shift worker who works so much overtime between the termination of one rostered shift and the commencement of the next rostered shift and has not had at least ten consecutive hours off duty between these shifts shall, subject to this paragraph, be released after completion of the overtime until the employee has had ten consecutive hours off duty, without loss of pay, for ordinary working time occurring during the absence.

 

A shift worker instructed to resume or continue work without having had ten consecutive hours off duty shall be paid at double ordinary time rates until released from duty for such period and shall be entitled to be absent until the employee has had ten consecutive hours off duty without loss of pay for ordinary working time occurring during the absence. Where overtime is worked prior to the normal starting time on a day following a rostered day off, an employee shall be assumed to have had an ordinary ceasing time on the preceding day corresponding with the employee’s normal ceasing time on the last day worked immediately preceding the employee’s rostered day or days off.

 

Shift workers who, as a result of arrangements made between themselves or at their own request, are required to resume or continue work without having had at least ten consecutive hours off duty between shifts shall not be entitled to the provisions of this sub-clause.

 

(h)        Where a shift worker had worked overtime both next preceding and next following his ordinary rostered shift the total hours of both periods of overtime shall be taken into account in determining when double ordinary time rate become payable in respect of the overtime performed next following the ceasing times of his rostered shift.

 

(i)         Where overtime is worked partly on one day and extends into the next day and that next day is an award holiday, the payment for overtime at double ordinary time rate plus one half shall commence from the midnight of the day preceding the award holiday irrespective of whether the final two hours of the overtime have or have not been completed.

 

(vi)       Shift Work - Change of Roster and Change of Shifts:

 

(a)        A shift worker changed from one roster to another or whose shift or shifts are changed within a roster shall be paid double ordinary time rate for the first shift worked in the new roster or for the first changed shift worked within the roster. Where a shift worker has received notice of change of roster or change of shift on the second day preceding the working of such shift, or earlier, the employee shall not be entitled to other than the rate of pay applicable to that working day.

 

(b)        Where notice is given on or before the second day preceding the change of shift or change of roster and as a result of the change an employee is required to work an additional shift or shifts the employee shall be allowed to be absent (at any time mutually agreed upon between the employee and Great Southern Energy) from a rostered shift or shifts in lieu thereof.  If it is impracticable to allow the employee to be absent within a period of four weeks from the date of working the additional shift or shifts the employee shall be paid for any additional shift worked at double ordinary time rate.  The provisions of this sub-clause shall not apply to shift workers who, being shown in the roster as "relief’, are required to work any shift on the same day for the replacement of shift workers absent for any reason.

 

(vii)      Day Workers Required to Work Shift Work:

 

(a)        A day worker required to work shift work shall be paid not less than ordinary time rate plus thirty per cent for each afternoon and/or night shift worked which occurs in the first ten afternoon and/or night shifts the employee is required to work from the date of commencing shift work and thereafter shall be deemed to be a shift worker.  Shift allowance in accordance with sub-clauses (ii) and (iii), of this clause, shall not be paid in addition to the foregoing except where such shifts occur on Saturdays, Sundays or Award Holidays.

 

(b)        An employee transferred to shift work at his own request or as a result of having applied for and obtained a position involving shift work shall not be entitled to extra payment under this sub-clause.

 

(viii)     Shift Workers - Annual Leave:

 

(a)        Annual leave of absence for a five-day shift worker shall consist of twenty shifts for each completed year of service;  such shifts being the first twenty occurring on and from the date of commencement of the employee’s annual leave upon which the employee otherwise would have been rostered to work in accordance with the relevant roster then in operation.

 

(b)        Annual Leave for a seven-day shift worker shall consist of twenty-five shifts for each completed year of service and shall be the first rostered shifts occurring on or from the date of commencement of the employee’s annual leave upon which the employee otherwise would have been rostered in accordance with the relevant roster then in operation.

 

(c)        A shift worker shall be paid during periods of annual leave the same rate of ordinary pay plus shift allowance (and weekend penalty rates where applicable) which the employee otherwise would have received had the employee not been on annual leave.

 

(d)        Where an award holiday occurs and is observed during the employee’s period of annual leave, then the leave shall be extended by a day.

 

(e)        An employee who has worked on seven-day shifts for only a portion of the year shall be granted proportionate annual leave on the basis of twenty-five shifts per year for that period of service as a seven-day shift worker, plus proportionate annual leave on the basis of twenty shifts or four weeks (as the case may be) for that period of service otherwise engaged.

 

(f)         For all purposes of this sub-clause "seven-day shift work" shall mean shift work performed regularly on Sundays and Award Holidays.

 

(g)        Where annual leave is not taken at the time it falls due it shall accumulate in order of its accrual, but leave thereafter taken, or otherwise discharged shall diminish the entitlement standing to credit in order of the leave which last accrued (i.e., the leave which last fell due to be the first discharged).

 

39.       OUTSOURCING

 

(i)         In circumstances where Great Southern Energy is examining outsourcing or contracting work out of work activities, it will notify the employees and their union/s.  It will provide employees and their union/s with twenty eight days notice to respond with suitable proposals about alternative arrangements to outsourcing.  If no response is received it will then proceed to invite tenders.

 

Great Southern Energy at the same time as tenders are invited will provide the union/s with a copy of any tender which has been prepared.

 

(ii)        The tenders when advertised shall be timed so as to provide the employees with an opportunity to submit an offer to establish that they can do the work to an equivalent standard, timetable and price.

 

A Contractor shall have an enterprise agreement with the relevant unions which cover the employees of the contractor.

 

(ii)        The tenders when invited will specify that the offer must include details of:

 

The award coverage and conditions of employment provided to employees engaged by the contractor.

 

The rates of pay applicable to the appropriate classifications engaged by the contractor.

 

An agreement by the contractor to comply with the industry safety standards and work practices.

 

(iii)       The work will only be outsourced when it can be demonstrated that either:

 

Insufficient overall resources are available to meet the current Great Southern Energy overall work commitment and work timetable; or

 

That the failure to complete the work in a reasonable work time would jeopardise the safety of the public or impact adversely upon system performance; or

 

That the use of outsourcing by contracting out the work is the most advantageous option taking into account quality, safety and performance.

 

Any comparison will be done on a genuine like to like basis free of overheads and subsidies that would continue even if the work was outsourced.

 

Great Southern Energy will advise employees and their Unions following consideration of tenders and the above mentioned factors.

 

(iv)       In the event that it is decided to contract out the work no employee will be made involuntarily redundant. Affected employees will be offered the opportunity for retraining in skills required by the organisation.

 

40.       NO EXTRA CLAIMS

 

The parties to this award agree not to pursue any additional or extra claims during the term of this award except in accordance with Clause 3, Future Negotiations and Clause 40, Leave Reserved or in accordance with any decision of the Industrial Relations Commission Of New South Wales.

 

41.       LEAVE RESERVED

 

(i)         The parties will examine all aspects of shift work during the term of this award.

 

(ii)        Leave is reserved to any party to this award to raise and pursue a classification and rates of pay for employees who hold an electrical trade qualification as well as a line worker certificate and who uses both qualifications in the performance of their work.

 

42.       GOODS AND SERVICES TAX

 

Should, during the life of this award, the impact of the Federal Government’s Goods and Services Tax affect employees’ real level of remuneration or conditions of employment, the parties agree to confer on any appropriate variations to the award to ensure that the objectives and intent of the award continue to be achieved and that employees’ entitlements are maintained.

 

43.       AIRCRAFT ALLOWANCE

 

(i)         An employee working in a rotary or fixed wing aircraft inspecting and reporting upon the state of the network assets shall be paid an allowance as set in item 1 of Table 1 of Part B of this award, per day or part thereof whilst so engaged.

 

(ii)        This allowance shall apply during periods of overtime involving aircraft work described in this subclause.  This allowance is not paid for other purposes.

 

44.       TOOL ALLOWANCE

 

(i)         Technicians and Lineworkers who are required to supply their own tools of trade shall, in addition to the rates of pay prescribed, be paid the amount set in item 2 of Table 1 of Part B of this award.

 

(ii)        Tool allowances paid to employees to apply in respect of a full range of tools ordinarily used in carrying out the duties and functions of the employee’s classification, and the employee shall, if requested, furnish a list of the tools.

 

(iii)       Tools for which allowances are paid shall remain the property of the employee, be kept in proper working conditions and be available for use by the employee at all times in the exercise of duties.

 

(iv)       Tools, in respect of which an allowance is paid, shall be replaced or paid for in the event of their loss or damage by fire or other cause beyond the employee’s control, or in the event of their theft during any act of breaking and entering of premises outside the ordinary working hours, provided the tools were kept in accordance with any established provisions for their security.

 

(v)        Tool allowances shall not cover tools required for special uses or purposes exceptional to the ordinary trade functions of the employee’s classification.

 

(vi)       Tools issued to an employee shall be used only in the course of duties, and for the purpose for which they are supplied.

 

(vii)      Employees shall be responsible for the proper upkeep of all tools, and other equipment, implements and articles, issued for their use, and shall replace or pay for any items lost or damaged through misuse or negligence.

 

(viii)     Tool allowances shall apply during periods of annual leave, sick and accident leave, long service leave and award holidays, but shall be excluded in the calculation of payment for accrued leave made to the employee upon termination of service.

 

45.       AREA CLIMATE ALLOWANCES

 

(i)         Employees working within the area bounded by and inclusive of the Snowy River from the New South Wales border to Dalgety, thence by the general route of the overhead power lines from Dalgety to Adaminaby, and thence by road to Talbingo, thence by a line drawn from Talbingo south west to Welaragang and on to the Murray River, then in a south easterly direction along the New South Wales border to the point of commencement, shall be paid a daily allowance as set in item 9 of Table 1 in Part B  of this award.

 

(ii)        Employees working in places situated upon or to the west of a line commencing at a point on the right bank of the Murray River opposite Echuca (Victoria) and thence to Deniliquin, and Griffith and then directly north to the border of Great Southern Energy’s northern boundary shall be paid a daily allowance as set in item 9 of Table 1 in Part B of this award.

 

(iii)       This allowance shall not form part of the ordinary rates of pay for the purpose of the calculation of overtime.  This allowance is not paid for other purposes.

 

46.       RADIO AND COMMUNICATIONS TOWER CLIMBING ALLOWANCE

 

Employees who are qualified and trained in radio and communications tower work on towers above 30 meters in height shall be paid for climbing, a daily allowance as set in item 11 of Table 1 of Part B of this award and for observing, a daily allowance as set in item 12 of Table 1 of Part B of this award.

 

47.       PRE EXISTING CONDITIONS

 

Employees employed prior to 1 October, 1995 at Murray River Electricity, Southern Tablelands Electricity and Illawarra Electricity shall have their preserved sick leave balance at 30 June, 1997 paid on termination of employment in accordance with the sick leave policies which existed at those respective organisations prior to 1 October, 1995.

 

Employees employed prior to 1 October 1995 at Murrumbidgee Electricity shall continue to receive their attendance bonus of five days per year less any sick leave taken in each year. The attendance bonus shall accumulate from year to year and be paid upon resignation or retirement.

 

Employees employed prior to 1 October, 1995 at Illawarra Electricity shall in addition to the on call allowance in this award, continue to receive the on call provisions excluding the on call allowance, that applied under the Illawarra award pre December, 1993, travel allowance, experience allowance and voluntary retirement allowance (in cases of redundancy, the greater benefit of the experience allowance/retirement allowance or this award’s redundancy provisions shall apply), vehicle examiner’s allowance, leading hand allowance, field billing allowance, driver’s allowance, and meal allowance provisions under the relevant Illawarra Electricity awards  applying to the employee concerned.

 

48.       CLASSIFICATIONS AND RATES OF PAY

 

(i)         An employee’s classification shall be that which describes the major and substantial functions and duties performed in the job occupied.  Employees shall be paid not less than the weekly rate of pay prescribed for the employee’s grade in the relevant classification.

 

(ii)        The weekly ordinary rates of pay set in this Agreement for Technicians, Lineworkers, Assistants and Non Professional Trainees employed in the Network Division shall be increased by $4.30 per week in consideration for disabilities encountered in the work place in the nature of confined spaces, underground work, working at heights, wet and dirty places and the use of power tools and explosives.

 

(iii)       The weekly ordinary rates of pay set in this award contains a 1.35% component in lieu of an annual leave loading.

 

49.       ALLOWANCES - HEADLINE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX ADJUSTMENT

 

Allowances in this award shall be adjusted annually to reflect the Headline Consumer Price Increase Index for the year on year March quarter. The adjustments will be applied to allowances effective 1 July in each year.

 

PART B

 

Classification:           Corporate Administrative and Retail

 

Work involves the application of appropriate levels of skill, knowledge (including professional and technical knowledge) and experience necessary to satisfactorily perform duties associated with the organisation’s corporate administration and retail functions.  It includes work for which no separate classification exists.  Knowledge required includes commerce, law, business/public administration, accountancy, management and/or economics.

 

WEEKLY RATE OF PAY

 

AGREEMENT GRADE	01/01/2000	01/07/2000	01/01/2001	01/07/2001	01/01/2002
	BASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE
16	$ 1,066.70	$1,093.40	$1,120.70	$1,148.72	$1,177.44
15	$ 1,024.30	$1,049.90	$1,076.20	$1,103.10	$1,130.60
14	$ 971.70	$996.00	$1,020.90	$1,046.40	$1,072.60
13	$ 921.60	$944.60	$968.30	$992.50	$1,017.30
12	$ 880.60	$902.60	$925.20	$948.30	$972.00
11	$ 836.40	$857.30	$878.70	$900.70	$923.20
10	$ 788.80	$808.50	$828.70	$849.50	$870.70
9	$ 739.70	$758.20	$777.20	$796.60	$816.50
8	$ 702.80	$720.40	$738.40	$756.80	$775.80
7	$ 648.50	$664.70	$681.30	$698.40	$715.80
6	$ 607.60	$622.80	$638.40	$654.30	$670.70
5	$ 546.60	$560.30	$574.30	$588.60	$603.30
4	$ 484.00	$496.10	$508.50	$521.20	$534.30
3	$ 436.90	$447.80	$459.00	$470.50	$482.30
2	$ 391.20	$401.00	$411.00	$421.30	$431.80
1	$ 348.70	$357.40	$366.40	$375.50	$384.90

 

Notes:

 

Experience/Qualification Requirements

 

Employees occupying Agreement classified jobs at Grades 14 to 16 perform work of an analytical nature requiring a high degree of professionalism, skill and autonomy in support of, or answerable to, a senior manager.  Employees should possess a relevant degree or diploma, and appropriate work experience, for the job occupied.

 

Employees occupying Agreement classified jobs from Grade 11 to 13 should possess a tertiary diploma, and/or equivalent work experience, that is relevant to the administrative and/or retail work performed in the job occupied.

 

Employees occupying Agreement classified jobs from Grades 6 to 10 should possess post-secondary qualifications and/or equivalent work experience, that is relevant to the administrative and/or retail work performed in the job occupied.

 

Employees occupying Agreement classified jobs at Grades 3 to 5 require a Higher School Certificate or its equivalent.

 

Employees occupying Agreement classified jobs at Grade 1 or 2 require a School Certificate or its equivalent.

 

Advancement

 

Annual incremental progression to Grade 5 is subject to employees:

 

undertaking employer endorsed training, and

 

the assessment of work performance and demonstration that jointly agreed work goals/objectives have been satisfactorily achieved over an assessment period.

 

Classification:           Information Technology Staff

 

Employees occupying Information Technology jobs require computing science or information technology knowledge and/or relevant work experience in order to apply the associated techniques and principles.

 

WEEKLY RATE OF PAY
AGREEMENT GRADE	01/01/2000	01/07/2000	01/01/2001	01/07/2001	01/01/2002
	BASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE
10	$ 1,265.10	$1,296.70	$1,329.20	$1,362.40	$1,396.40
9	$ 1,221.90	$1,252.50	$1,283.80	$1,315.90	$1,348.80
8	$ 1,177.30	$1,206.70	$1,236.90	$1,267.80	$1,299.50
7	$ 1,141.40	$1,170.00	$1,199.20	$1,229.20	$1,259.90
6	$ 1,105.80	$1,133.50	$1,161.80	$1,190.80	$1,220.60
5	$ 1,066.70	$1,093.40	$1,120.70	$1,148.70	$1,177.40
4	$ 1,024.30	$1,049.90	$1,076.20	$1,103.10	$1,130.60
3	$ 971.70	$996.00	$1,020.90	$1,046.40	$1,072.60
2	$ 921.60	$944.70	$968.30	$992.50	$1,017.30
1	$ 881.20	$903.20	$925.80	$949.00	$972.70

 

Notes:

 

Employees occupying jobs with an Agreement classification of Grade 1 or 2 require post-secondary course qualifications and/or equivalent work experience in computing studies, information technology or a related area.

 

Employees occupying jobs with an Agreement classification at Grade 3 and above require a degree or diploma in computing studies and/or information technology or a related area and/or relevant work experience. 

 

Classification:           Network Officer

 

Employees occupying Network classified jobs undertake professional, para-professional or technical engineering projects or perform an operational engineering management role.

 

WEEKLY RATE OF PAY
AGREEMENT GRADE	01/01/2000	01/07/2000	01/01/2001	01/07/2001	01/01/2002
	BASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE
12	$ 1,348.00	$1,381.70	$1,416.20	$1,451.70	$1,487.90
11	$ 1,278.60	$1,310.60	$1,343.30	$1,376.90	$1,411.30
10	$ 1,166.90	$1,196.10	$1,226.00	$1,256.60	$1,288.00
9	$ 1,122.20	$1,150.30	$1,179.00	$1,208.50	$1,238.70
8	$ 1,076.50	$1,103.40	$1,131.00	$1,159.30	$1,188.30
7	$ 1,032.60	$1,058.40	$1,084.90	$1,112.00	$1,139.80
6	$ 980.90	$1,005.40	$1,030.60	$1,056.30	$1,082.70
5	$ 954.00	$977.90	$1,002.30	$1,027.40	$1,053.00
4	$ 913.80	$936.70	$960.10	$984.10	$1,008.70
3	$ 877.60	$899.50	$922.00	$945.10	$968.70
2	$ 836.20	$857.10	$878.50	$900.50	$923.00
1	$ 797.70	$817.60	$838.10	$859.00	$880.50

 

Notes:

 

Experience/Qualification Requirements

 

Employees occupying jobs with an Agreement classification of Grade 11 or 12 require relevant work experience and a degree (or equivalent) in engineering or a related field making them eligible for admission as a Member of the Institute of Engineers; they perform professional engineering duties and functions of an analytical nature.  Advancement from Agreement Grade 11 to Grade 12 is subject to an assessment of work performance and demonstration that jointly agreed work goals/objectives have been satisfactorily achieved over an assessment period.

 

Employees occupying jobs with an Agreement classification from Grades 5 to 10 require relevant work experience and either an Engineering diploma or equivalent.  They perform para-professional network engineering project work of an analytical nature or a works co-ordination role in respect of different work teams performing operational engineering work.  Annual advancement through these grades is subject to the assessment of work performance and demonstration that jointly agreed work goals/objectives, including safety, have been satisfactorily achieved over an assessment period.

 

Employees occupying jobs with an Agreement classification from Grades 1 to 4, require relevant post-secondary qualifications and work experience.  They undertake technical projects and/or lead a team undertaking network construction, operation and maintenance.  Annual advancement through these grades, as outlined hereunder, is subject to the assessment of eligible employees work performance and demonstration that jointly agreed work goals/objectives, including safety, have been satisfactorily achieved over an assessment period:

 

Agreement Grades 3 and 4 - advancement through these grades is only available to employees in "Senior Team Leader" jobs.

 

Agreement Grades 1 and 2 - employees occupying "Team Leader" jobs cannot advance beyond Grade 2.

 

Classification:           Technician

 

A Technician is an employee with post-secondary qualifications, including a relevant trade qualification, who is primarily involved in the:

 

(1)        testing, maintenance installation and commissioning of  energy transmission and distribution systems , or

 

(2)        maintenance of motor vehicles and plant equipment.

 

WEEKLY RATE OF PAY
AGREEMENT GRADE	01/01/2000	01/07/2000	01/01/2001	01/07/2001	01/01/2002
	BASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE
6	$ 856.80	$878.20	$900.20	$922.70	$945.80
5	$ 813.10	$833.40	$854.30	$875.60	$897.50
4	$ 767.30	$786.50	$806.10	$826.30	$847.00
3	$ 744.10	$762.70	$781.80	$801.30	$821.40
2	$ 716.20	$734.10	$752.50	$771.30	$790.60
1	$ 697.80	$715.30	$733.10	$751.50	$770.20

 

Notes:

 

Technicians on appointment shall commence at the Agreement Grade 1 level unless, immediately prior to appointment, they were a Lineworker Grade 4, in which case they shall commence at the Agreement Grade 2 level.

 

Following appointment as a Technician, employees are eligible to progress annually to Agreement Grade 3 (Motor Mechanics) or to Grade  (Electrical or Gas), subject to the following criteria:

 

(1)        work performance and/or conduct has not been assessed as unsatisfactory during the twelve month period from their date of commencement or date of last incremental advancement, and(2) that advancement from Agreement Grade 3 to Grade 4 can only occur where a Technician performs work on energy distribution systems including installation protection systems, zone substations, and installation inspection Grades 5 and 6 apply only to former Illawarra Electricity employees who were engaged by Great Southern Energy prior to the commencement of the Great Southern Energy Enterprise Award 1997.

 

Classification:           Leading Hand

 

An employee employed in a Networks position who is in charge of and responsible for a work group comprising that employee and at least one other employee shall be classed as a leading hand.

 

An amount per week shall be added to a leading hand’s usual classification and grade weekly rate of pay. This amount shall be payable for all purposes of the award.

 

WEEKLY RATE OF PAY
AGREEMENT GRADE	01/01/2000	01/07/2000	01/01/2001	01/07/2001	01/01/2002
	BASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE
Leading Hand	$32.60	$33.40	$34.30	$35.10	$36.00

 

 

Classification:           Energy Distribution Worker

 

An Energy Distribution Worker is an employee who, has a post-secondary qualification in:

 

(1)        gas supply, or

 

(2)        overhead linework or other qualification recognised under the Overhead Lineworkers Regulations, and who is engaged in the operation, maintenance and construction of energy  transmission and distribution systems up to and including sub-transmission assets, including work on switchboards and metering equipment.

 

WEEKLY RATE OF PAY
AGREEMENT GRADE	01/01/2000	01/07/2000	01/01/2001	01/07/2001	01/01/2002
	BASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE
6	$ 750.90	$769.70	$788.90	$808.60	$828.90
5	$ 719.00	$737.00	$755.40	$774.30	$793.60
4	$ 688.50	$705.70	$723.40	$741.40	$760.00
3	$ 646.30	$662.50	$679.00	$696.00	$713.40
2	$ 589.70	$604.40	$619.60	$635.00	$650.90
1	$ 561.10	$575.10	$589.50	$604.20	$619.40

 

Notes:

 

Energy Distribution Workers are eligible to progress annually from Grade 1 through to Grade 4 subject to work performance and/or conduct not having been assessed as unsatisfactory during the twelve month period from the date of commencement or date of last incremental advancement.

 

An Energy Distribution Worker (Electrical) who is qualified and performs liveline stick work shall be paid at Grade 5.

 

An Energy Distribution Worker (Electrical) who is qualified and performs liveline glove and barrier work shall be paid at Grade 6.

 

A Probationary Energy Distribution Worker requires a minimum of four months on the job training assisting Energy Distribution Workers (Electrical) and has to undertake the overhead Lineworkers course and supplementary in-school practical course.  A Probationary Energy Distribution Worker shall be graded and paid as an Energy Distribution Worker (Electrical) Grade 1.  On satisfactory completion of the probationary period and courses, the employee will be advanced as an Energy Distribution Worker Grade 2.

 

Classification:           Assistant

 

An Assistant is an employee who is engaged in either the operation of plant or reading of meters or pole or line inspection and associated clerical duties, or depot officer duties or the maintenance of plant and equipment, or cleaning, routine store work, care of grounds, equipment and vehicles and other related administrative and clerical functions.

 

WEEKLY RATE OF PAY
AGREEMENT GRADE	01/01/2000	01/07/2000	01/01/2001	01/07/2001	01/01/2002
	BASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE
6	$ 658.80	$675.30	$692.20	$709.50	$727.20
5	$ 639.70	$655.70	$672.10	$688.90	$706.10
4	$ 619.80	$635.30	$651.20	$667.50	$684.10
3	$ 607.00	$622.20	$637.70	$653.70	$670.00
2	$ 589.30	$604.00	$619.10	$634.60	$650.50
1	$ 555.60	$569.50	$583.70	$598.30	$613.30

 

Notes:

 

Assistants are eligible to progress annually through the above Agreement grades as follows, subject to work performance and/or conduct not having been assessed as unsatisfactory during the twelve month period from the date of commencement or date of last incremental advancement:

 

Depot Officers, Pole and Line Inspectors, Plant Operators and Storeworkers to Grade 6.

Meter Readers to Grade 4.

 

All others, including Labourers, to Grade 3.

 

Classification:           Trainee

 

A Trainee is a person undertaking training in a specific discipline, including an apprenticeship, who has not completed an appropriate course of study and been awarded the relevant certificate qualification.

 

WEEKLY RATE OF PAY
AGREEMENT GRADE	01/01/2000	01/07/2000	01/01/2001	01/07/2001	01/01/2002
	BASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE
4	$ 488.10	$500.30	$512.80	$525.60	$538.80
3	$ 424.40	$435.00	$445.90	$457.00	$468.50
2	$ 366.90	$376.10	$385.50	$395.10	$405.00
1	$ 307.10	$314.80	$322.70	$330.70	$339.00

 

Progression through the Agreement grades shall be annual, subject to work performance and/or conduct not having been assessed as unsatisfactory during the twelve month period from the date of commencement or date of last incremental advancement:

 

Classification:           Trainee, Professional

 

A trainee professional is a person undertaking a course of study which will allow them admission to the grade of graduate member or equivalent of their professional association or institute.

 

WEEKLY RATE OF PAY
AGREEMENT GRADE	01/01/2000	01/07/2000	01/01/2001	01/07/2001	01/01/2002
	BASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE	2.5% INCREASE
6	$ 664.63	$681.30	$698.30	$715.70	$733.60
5	$ 624.10	$639.70	$655.70	$672.10	$688.90
4	$ 546.65	$560.30	$574.30	$588.70	$603.40
3	$ 502.08	$514.60	$527.50	$540.70	$554.20
2	$ 461.23	$472.80	$484.60	$496.70	$509.10
1	$ 415.88	$426.30	$436.90	$447.90	$459.10

 

PART B

 

TABLE 1 ALLOWANCE RATES OF PAY
ITEM NO.	CLAUSE NO.	CLAUSE DESCRIPTION	BASIS OF RATE	CURRENT AGREEMENT RATE	RATE AFTER 2.8% CPI INCREASE (1 July 2000)
1	43 (i)	aircraft allowance	per day or part thereof	$ 11.10	$11.41
2	44 (i)	tool allowance	per week	$ 6.70	$6.89
3	20 (i) (f)	on call availability allowance	per week	$ 100.00	$102.80
4	20 (ii) (c)	on call duty officer	per week	$ 80.50	$82.75
5	20 (iii) (b)	on call officer in charge	per week	$ 71.40	$73.40
6	21 (v)(e)	meal allowance	per meal	$ 10.10	$10.38
7	38 (ii)	afternoon shift allowance	per shift	$ 12.20	$12.54
		night shift allowance	per shift	$ 12.20	$12.54
		early morning shift allowance	per shift	$ 5.70	$5.86
8	35 (i) (b)	living away lunch allowance	per meal	$ 15.20	$15.63
		living away dinner allowance	per meal	$ 25.30	$26.01
	35 (ii)	camping allowance	per night	$ 20.00	$20.56
9	45 (i)(ii)	area climate allowance	per day	$ 1.00	$1.03
10	36 (ii)	first aid allowance	per week	$ 8.90	$9.15
11	45	climbing allowance	per day	$ 101.30	$104.14
12	46	observer's allowance	per day	$ 40.50	$41.63

 

 

SIGNED

for and on behalf of Great Southern Energy

by ...................................................

its duly authorised Officer                                                                    ...................................................

and in the presence of:                                                                          (Signature)

 

...................................................

 (Signature of Witness)

 

...................................................

(Name of Witness in Full)

 

 

SIGNED

for and on behalf of  the

Electrical Trades Union of Australia

by .............................................

its duly authorised                                                                                             ................................................

Officer and in the presence of:                                                                         (Signature)

 

...................................................

(Signature of Witness)

 

...................................................

(Name of Witness in Full)

 

 

SIGNED

for and on behalf of  the

Federated Municipal and Shire Council

Employees Union of Australia

by .............................................

its duly authorised                                                                                             ................................................

Officer and in the presence of:                                                                         (Signature)

 

...................................................

(Signature of Witness)

 

...................................................

(Name of Witness in Full)

 

 

SIGNED

for and on behalf of  the

Australian Services Union

by .............................................

its duly authorised                                                                                             ................................................

Officer and in the presence of:                                                                         (Signature)

 

...................................................

(Signature of Witness)

 

...................................................

(Name of Witness in Full)

 

SIGNED

for and on behalf of  the

Association of Professional Engineers,

Scientists and Managers, Australia

by .............................................

its duly authorised                                                                                             ................................................

Officer and in the presence of:                                                                         (Signature)

 

...................................................

(Signature of Witness)

 

...................................................

 (Name of Witness in Full)

 

 

R. W. HARRISON,  D.P.

 

____________________

 

Printed by the authority of the Industrial Registrar.