ENTERPRISE AGREEMENTS
CRITICAL IN YOUR WORKING LIFE Some PSA members may not be fully familiar with why enterprise agreements are so important to their working lives. Here we identify a few key concepts about enterprise agreements and the enterprise bargaining process. The PSA salaried members’ enterprise agreement (SAMPSEAS) is currently under negotiation. When the current agreement was approved in January 2018, it covered approximately 39,000 employees.
An enterprise agreement: • Sets out many of the terms and conditions that apply to employment • Sets out many rights and responsibilities employers and employees are required to adhere to • Sets out many principles and specific terms that apply to the employment relationship
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• Importantly for members, is a statement of the level of respect and dignity underpinning the employment relationship
“Agreement” is the key word • Sometimes people overlook the key word in “enterprise agreement”, i.e. “agreement”. This means that PSA members collectively decide the terms and conditions they are willing to accept will apply in their relationship with their employer. Importantly, through enterprise agreements, union members also collectively determine the level of respect and dignity they are willing to accept will underpin their relationship with their employer. There is no enterprise agreement unless the employees covered by the agreement collectively agree.
Public Sector Review Magazine | JUNE 2020
The PSA is the principal negotiator for the salaried agreement Under the state Fair Work Act (the legislation under which enterprise agreements are made) unions have rights to negotiate enterprise agreements on behalf of their members. The PSA is the principal representative and therefore the principal negotiator on behalf of salaried employees in the SA public sector. The PSA negotiates with representatives of the government who in turn take their direction from the elected government.
Determining the PSA’s negotiating position Members tell us what is important to them about their conditions of employment. Unions are democratic organisations responsible and accountable to their members.
