Crown Employees (Department of Industry, Skills and
Regional Development) Food Safety Officers Award
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
COMMISSION OF NEW SOUTH WALES
Review of Award pursuant to Section 19 of the Industrial
Relations Act 1996.
(No. IRC 731 of 2015)
Before Commissioner Stanton
|
28 October 2015
|
REVIEWED
AWARD
PART A
Arrangement
Clause No. Subject Matter
PART A
1. Title
2. Parties
to the Award
3. Definitions
4. Coverage
5. Statement
of Intent
6. Grading and
Evaluation of Roles
7. Scope of
Employment
8. Savings
of Rights
9. Salaries
10. Conditions
of Employment - General
11. Employment
of Food Safety Officers
12. Salary
Progression
13. Performance
and Competency Standard Development
14. Competency
Assessment Panel
15. Appeals
16. Above
Level Assignment Allowance
17. Consultative
Arrangements
18. Multi-Skilling
19. Anti-Discrimination
20. Area,
Incidence and Duration
PART B
MONETARY RATES
Table 1 - Salaries
Schedule 1 - Food Safety Officer - Progression
Requirements
1. Title
This Award shall be known as the Crown Employees
(Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development) Food Safety Officers
Award.
2. Parties to the
Award
The parties to this Award are the Industrial Relations
Secretary and the Public Service Association and Professional Officers’
Association Amalgamated Union of New South Wales.
3. Definitions
(a) "Association"
means - the Public Service Association and the Professional Officers’
Association Amalgamated Union of New South Wales.
(b) "Authority"
means - the Office of the NSW Food Authority
(c) "Chief
Executive Officer" means - the Chief Executive Officer of the Office of
the NSW Food Authority.
(d) "Code of
Practice" means - requirements and guidelines to ensure a premises or
activity complies with statutory requirements.
(e) "Compliance,
Investigation & Enforcement Branch" means - a Branch of the NSW Food
Authority consisting of the Compliance Investigation Team, the Audit Systems
& Verification Team, the Food Complaints & Incident Response Team and
the Accreditation Systems Team.
(f) "Department"
means - The Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development.
(g) "Food
Safety Officer" means - a staff member employed by the Authority in the
capacity of Food Safety Officer.
(h) "HACCP"
means - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System - an international
food safety management system.
(i) “Industrial
Relation Secretary” means – the Secretary of the Treasury, as established under
the Government Sector Employment Act 2013.
(j) "Job
Evaluation" means - an accredited job evaluation system used to grade
roles in NSW Food Authority.
(k) "National
Food Safety Standards" means - uniform food hygiene and safety regulations
set out in the Food Standard Code to ensure a nationally consistent approach to
food safety.
(l) "Normal
Work", in respect of clause 20, Grievance and Dispute Settling Procedures,
means - the duties, responsibilities and
capabilities contained in the role description of a staff member, or staff
members, at the time a grievance, dispute or difficulty is notified. within the
NSW Food Authority.
(m) "Role"
means - a staff member employed in a role as defined in the Government Sector Employment Act 2013,
Government Sector Regulation 2014 and Government Sector Rules2014.
(n) "Secretary"
means - the Secretary of the Department of Industry, Skills and Regional
Development.
(o) "Science
Business Operations and Strategy Branch" means - a Branch of the NSW Food
Authority consisting of the Science and Technical Unit, Shellfish Unit and
Business Operations support unit.
(p) "Temporary
Employee" means - a person employed on a temporary basis.
4. Coverage
The provisions of this Award shall apply to staff
members employed in the Compliance, Investigation & Enforcement Branch and
the Science Business Operations and Strategy Branch of the NSW Food Authority
in the capacity of Food Safety Officer.
5. Statement of Intent
This Award seeks to maintain equity in salary and
conditions between field staff of the former Meat, Dairy, and Seafood Branches
of NSW Food Authority and facilitate recruitment and retention of Food Safety
Officers.
6. Grading and
Evaluation of Roles
Roles will be graded and evaluated from time to time in
the following circumstances:
(a) Where
the nature of the role is significantly changed or where a new role is created.
(b) Where
a role falls vacant and the Secretary seeks to determine whether it is
necessary to evaluate the role prior to advertising the vacancy.
(c) At
the request of any party to this Award, or staff member under the Award,
provided that the role(s) have not been reviewed for grading for at least (12)
twelve months prior to the request.
7. Scope of Employment
(a) Employment
will be either on an ongoing full time or ongoing part time basis.
(b) Temporary
employees may be employed from time to time should the need arise.
8. Savings of Rights
No staff member of the Authority will suffer a
reduction in his or her salary or any loss or diminution in his or her
conditions of employment at the time of or as a consequence of the making of
this Award.
9. Salaries
(a) Staff members will
be assigned to a role in one of the grades outlined in Table 1 of Part B,
Monetary Rates of this Award.
(b) The rates of
pay set out in Table 1 do not include payment for annual leave loading.
(c) The salary
rates set out in Table 1 will move in accordance with the Crown Employees
(Public Sector - Salaries 2015) Award or any variation or replacement Award.
10. Conditions of
Employment - General
Except as otherwise provided in this Award, the
provisions of:
(a) The Crown
Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Reviewed Award 2009 or any
variation or replacement Award, and
(b) The Crown
Employees (Transferred Employees Compensation) Award 2009 or any variation or
replacement Award will apply.
(c) Conditions of
employment other than those fixed by this Award are determined by the Government Sector Employment Act 2013, the
Government Sector Employment Regulation 2014 and the Government Sector
Employment Rules 2014.
11. Employment of Food
Safety Officers
(a) Except as
provided in subclause (b) of this clause, staff members will be employed with a
commencement salary at the first salary point in the grade of the role to which
they are assigned.
(b) The Secretary
may employ a person at a higher salary level within the grade. In determining
commencing salary, regard will be had to:
(i) The person’s
skills, experience and qualifications,
(ii) The rate
required to attract the person, and
(iii) The
remuneration of existing staff performing similar work.
(c) Except for deemed
qualifications upon transition to the Award in 2002, the essential
qualifications for employment covered by this Award will be a tertiary
qualification, relevant to the role the person is to be employed in by the
Authority, in Food Science, Environmental Health, Aquatic or Animal Health,
Law, Investigations or appropriate qualification combined with relevant
industry experience (as determined by the Secretary).
12. Salary Progression
There shall be 6 levels of Food Safety Officer, with
salary levels as prescribed in Table 1.
(a) Progression
within each grade will be by annual increment, provided the manager is
satisfied with the conduct and manner of performance of the staff member and
the requirements of the staff member’s Performance Development Plan have been
satisfied.
(b) The Secretary
may approve the accelerated progression of a staff member through the
incremental scale for the role occupied by the staff member, in accordance with
assessments made through their Performance Development Plan.
(d) There will be
competency barriers for progression from Trainee Food Safety Officer (Food
Safety Officer Grade 1) to Food Safety Officer (Food Safety Officer Grade 2),
and from Food Safety Officer to Senior Food Safety Officer (Food Safety Officer
Grade 3)
(e) Employment of
a Food Safety Officer above Grade 3 will be subject to comparative assessment
and the role being advertised externally.
13. Performance and
Competency Standard Development
(a) The parties to
this Award will participate in ongoing discussions to further develop the staff
members covered by the Award and the performance of NSW Food Authority. The
Chief Executive Officer will provide training and work opportunities for staff
development.
(b) The parties
will participate in:
(i) Development
and review of the Department’s Performance Development Plan.
(ii) Discussion
and review of the qualifications, requirements and competencies detailed
variously in clause 10, Employment of Food Safety Officers, clause 11, Salary
Progression and Schedule 1 to this Award to ensure that they conform with
national food safety standards as they change and develop from time to
time. These discussions will continue as
a matter of priority.
14. Competency
Assessment Panel
A Competency Assessment Panel will be formed consisting
of the staff members occupying the roles
of Group Director and unit
Manager of the branch where the staff member to be assessed is employed and a
Senior Technical Officer from within the Authority. The Panel will assess competency of staff
members seeking progression from Trainee Food Safety Officer to Food Safety
Officer or Food Safety Officer to Senior Food Safety Officer.
15. Appeals
(a) A staff
member, who fails to satisfy the requirements of the competencies for
progression from Trainee Food Safety Officer to Food Safety Officer or Food
Safety Officer to Senior Food Safety Officer, as determined by the Competency
Assessment Panel, may appeal the decision of that panel.
(b) The staff
member, following the decision of the competency assessment panel, may lodge an
appeal in writing with the Secretary or
delegate within ten (10) working days of the panel advising the staff member of
its decision. The appeal must set out the grounds for the appeal.
(c) The
Secretary or delegate shall convene an
Assessment Appeals Panel within ten (10) working days of an appeal being lodged
and advise the staff member of the members of the panel.
(d) The Assessment
Appeals Panel shall allow the appellant to appear before it during its
determination of the appeal if so requested by the appellant.
(e) The
Secretary or delegate shall advise the
staff member of the decision of the Assessment Appeals Panel within five (5)
days of the appeal being heard.
16. Above Level
Assignment Allowance
(a) Staff members
assigned to perform the duties of a higher role for more than five consecutive
working days will be paid an allowance.
(b) The allowance
will be agreed following discussion with the staff member and will be a proportion
of the difference between the staff member’s salary and the salary for the
minimum rate of the higher role depending on the range of duties undertaken and
the level of responsibility accepted.
17. Consultative
Arrangements
The parties agree to continue consultation to ensure
that the implementation of this Award realises improvements in service
delivery, productivity, efficiency and job satisfaction. The parties will
consult on such issues as training and development, work environment, restructuring,
job evaluation, performance management, succession planning, multi-skilling,
and cross training in different food commodities. Consultation on theses
matters should occur as close as possible to the source.
18. Multi-Skilling
The parties to the Award recognise that multi-skilling
is a condition of this Award. The parties agree that Food Safety Officers will
undertake training and development activities as provided by the NSW Food
Authority from time to time.
19. Anti-Discrimination
(a) It is the
intention of the parties bound by this Award 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, marital status, disability, homosexuality, transgender
identity, age and responsibilities as a carer.
(b) It follows
that in fulfilling their obligations under the dispute resolution procedure
prescribed by this Award the parties have obligations to take all reasonable
steps to ensure that the operation of the provisions of this Award are not
directly or indirectly discriminatory in their effects. It will be consistent
with the fulfilment of these obligations for the parties to make application to
vary any provision of the Award, which, by its terms or operation, has a direct
or indirect discriminatory effect.
(c) Under the Anti-Discrimination
Act 1977, it is unlawful to victimise a staff member because the staff
member has made or may make or has been involved in a complaint of 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 Award 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.
NOTES -
(a) Employers and
staff members may also be subject to Commonwealth anti-discrimination
legislation.
(b) Section 56(d)
of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 provides:
"Nothing in this Act
affects any other act or practice of a body established to propagate religion that
conforms to the doctrines of that religion or is necessary to avoid injury to
the religious susceptibilities of the adherents of that religion."
20. Area, Incidence
and Duration
(a) This Award
applies to staff members employed by the Department in the capacity of Food
Safety Officer.
(b) The members of staff regulated by this
Award shall be entitled to the conditions of employment as set out in this
Award and, except where specifically varied by this Award, existing conditions
are provided for under the Government
Sector Employment Act 2013, the Government Sector Employment Regulation 2014,
the Government Sector Rules 2014 the Crown Employees (Public Service
Conditions of Employment) Award 2009 and the Crown Employees (Public Sector -
Salaries 2015) Award or any replacement awards.
(c) 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 Awards made by the Industrial
Relations Commission of New South Wales on 28 April 1999 (310 IG 359) take
effect on and from 28 October 2015.
(d) The Award
remains in force until varied or rescinded, the period for which it was made
having already expired.
PART B
MONETARY RATES
Table 1 - Salaries
Food Safety Officers
|
Classification and Grades
|
Common
|
First pay period on
|
|
Salary
|
or after the 1.7.15
|
|
Point
|
Per annum
|
|
|
2.5%
|
|
|
$
|
Grade 1
|
Year 1
|
-
|
59,549
|
|
Year 2
|
-
|
61,254
|
|
Year 3
|
55
|
63,801
|
Grade 2
|
Year 1
|
-
|
67,655
|
|
Year 2
|
-
|
73,573
|
|
Year 3
|
82
|
83,022
|
Grade 3
|
Year 1
|
-
|
89,331
|
|
Year 2
|
-
|
92,534
|
|
Year 3
|
98
|
97,426
|
Grade 4
|
Year 1
|
-
|
101,737
|
|
Year 2
|
-
|
105,255
|
|
Year 3
|
111
|
110,530
|
Grade 5
|
Year 1
|
116
|
116,042
|
|
Year 2
|
120
|
120,961
|
Grade 6
|
Year 1
|
126
|
128,538
|
|
Year 2
|
130
|
134,202
|
Schedule 1
Food Safety Officer - Progression Requirements
The current NSW Food Authority training program
assesses and documents staff competencies. A Competency Assessment Panel will
consider the following progression criteria in the Compliance, Investigation
& Enforcement and the Science, Business Operations and Strategy Branches.
The provisions of clauses 13 and 14 of this Award will
apply in relation to progression requirements.
Progression from Trainee Food Safety Officer (FSO 1) to
Food Safety Officer (FSO 2):
(a) Tertiary
qualifications in Food Science or appropriate qualifications combined with
relevant industry experience (as determined by the Secretary ) in respect of Compliance, Investigation
& Enforcement Branch and the Science, Business Operations and Strategy
Branch,
(b) Tertiary qualifications in Environmental
Health, Aquatic or Animal Health or appropriate qualifications with relevant
industry experience (as determined by the
Secretary) in respect of the Shellfish Unit.
(c) Demonstrated
knowledge of industry and technology and in respect of Compliance,
Investigation and Enforcement Branch, two or more years' experience in auditing
at least two commodity sectors covered by the Food Safety Schemes in the Food Regulation 2010.
(d) Working
knowledge of relevant Codes of Practice,
Acts and Regulations, and Procedure Manuals.
(e) Demonstrated
knowledge of NSW Food Authority licensing system.
(f) Good written
and verbal communication skills and ability to communicate at various levels to
advise, guide, explain and motivate industry personnel.
(g) Driver’s
Licence.
(h) Competence in
the use of computers for preparation of reports and for electronic
communication (word processing, Excel, Internet, e-mail, and, in respect of the
Shellfish Unit, Access).
(i) Demonstrated
ability to conduct Food Safety Audits and Inspections in respect of Compliance,
Investigation and Enforcement Branch.
(j) Demonstrated
ability to design and implement environmental monitoring programs in shellfish
harvesting areas in respect of the Shellfish Unit.
(k) Completed Food
Safety Auditor’s Course and meets auditor certification criteria in respect of
Compliance, Investigation & Enforcement Branch.
(l) Completed
recognised training in one or more of the following areas in respect of the
Shellfish Unit: geographic information systems (GIS), hydrology, depuration
systems, epidemiology, marine algal biotoxins, virology or related disciplines.
(m) Demonstrated
capacity to organise time and work with minimal supervision.
(n) Satisfactory
completion of HACCP based training.
Progression from Food Safety Officer (FSO 2) to Senior
Food Safety Officer (FSO 3):
(a) High level of
technical understanding of food safety issues.
(b) Detailed
knowledge of Codes of Practice, Acts and
Regulations and the intent of legislation.
(c) Capacity to
provide advice, training and education to industry and applicants.
(d) High level of
verbal and written communication skills.
(e) Proven ability
to provide comment or advice to NSW Food Authority on topical food safety
issues.
(f) Demonstrated
ability to conduct investigations, collect evidence, conduct prosecutions, and
gather information for reports.
(g) Capacity to
act as Lead Auditor in audits and make decisions on a range of technical
matters in respect of Compliance, Investigation & Enforcement Branch.
(h) Capacity to
interpret results of environmental monitoring programs (microbiological,
phytoplankton, heavy metal and pesticide) and make decisions on related
technical issues in respect of the Shellfish Unit.
(i) Ability to
provide constructive advice and guidance to Trainee Food Safety Officers and
Food Safety Officers in a team environment.
J. D. STANTON, Commissioner
____________________
Printed by
the authority of the Industrial Registrar.