Request for information about savings resulting from protracted EA bargaining

Red made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Finance

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

Department of Finance did not have the information requested.

Dear Department of Finance,

The protracted APS bargaining on Enterprise Agreements across the Commonwealth Public Service means that 130,000 people who work in the public sector still don’t have a new enterprise agreement, almost 85% of the total workforce.

Given that 130,000 employees have not realised a pay rise in two years, under FOI provisions I wish to request that you provide -

a) Documentation outlining how much money the Commonwealth Government has saved as a result of not having to pay 85% of their workforce a pay rise since their previous EAs expired; and
b) Related to this, documentation outlining the amount that has been saved by the Commonwealth Government in payments to superannuation funds as a result of 85% of their workforce not receiving an increases in their superannuable salary for the past two years.

I realise that the Commonwealth Government is not the direct employer of public servants; their departments are. However, the savings have been achieved by the Commonwealth Government.

Yours faithfully,

Red

FOI Requests, Department of Finance

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Freedom of Information

Legal Services Branch

Department of Finance

 

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FOI Requests, Department of Finance

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UNCLASSIFIED

Dear Red,

 

Freedom of Information Request – FOI 16/68

Thank you for your email to the Department of Finance (Finance) requesting
access to the following under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI
Act).

 

The protracted APS bargaining on Enterprise Agreements across the
Commonwealth Public Service means that 130,000 people who work in the
public sector still don’t have a new enterprise agreement, almost 85% of
the total workforce.

 

Given that 130,000 employees have not realised a pay rise in two years,
under FOI provisions I wish to request that you provide -

a) Documentation outlining how much money the Commonwealth Government has
saved as a result of not having to pay 85% of their workforce a pay rise
since their previous EAs expired; and

b) Related to this, documentation outlining the amount that has been saved
by the Commonwealth Government in payments to superannuation funds as a
result of 85% of their workforce not receiving an increases in their
superannuable salary for the past two years.

 

I realise that the Commonwealth Government is not the direct employer of
public servants; their departments are. However, the savings have been
achieved by the Commonwealth Government.

 

The statutory period for processing your request commences from the day
after Finance received your request.  Your request was received by Finance
on 3 May 2016.  The processing period may be extended if we need to
consult third parties, impose a charge or for other reasons.  We will
advise you if this happens.

 

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You will be notified of any charges in relation to your request as soon as
possible, before we process any requested documents or impose a final
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Publication

As required by the FOI Act, any documents provided to you under the FOI
Act will be published on our [1]disclosure log, unless an exemption
applies or the documents are characterised as containing personal
information.  Documents will be published within one working day after
they are released to you.

 

Policy to exclude junior officer contact details

Finance has adopted a policy to generally exclude from any documents
released under FOI, the names and contact details of junior staff (non-SES
officers) and staff employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act
1984 (adviser level and below). Finance’s preference is to reach agreement
with FOI applicants to exclude these details from the scope of the
request. Where there is no objection, the names and contact details of
junior officers are redacted under section 22 of the FOI Act, on the basis
that these details are irrelevant to the request. 

 

Please contact the FOI Team on the below contact details if you wish to
discuss your request.

 

Regards, Kira

[2]Department of Finance and Deregulation

FOI Officer

Legal Services Branch

Corporate Services Division

Department of Finance

T: 02 6215 1783 E: [email address]

 

 

UNCLASSIFIED

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FOI Requests, Department of Finance

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UNCLASSIFIED

Good afternoon Red,

 

Please find attached, a decision in regards to your FOI request (our
reference number FOI 16/68).

 

Regards,

[1]Department of Finance and Deregulation

FOI Officer

Legal Services Branch

Corporate Services Division

Department of Finance

T: 02 6215 1783 E: [email address]

 

UNCLASSIFIED

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