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Tasmanian Industrial Commission

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T2822 - 27 November

 

TASMANIAN INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION

Industrial Relations Act 1984
s.23 application for award or variation of award

Emu Bay Railway Company Limited
(T.2822 of 1990)

EMU BAY RAILWAY AWARD

 

COMMISSIONER R K GOZZI

HOBART 27 November 1991

Structural efficiency principle

REASONS FOR DECISION

Since the Commission awarded1 the second structural efficiency adjustment in December 1990 to employees subject to the Emu Bay Railway Award, the parties have continued to review the award and to resolve issues going to the foreshadowed five level salary structure and the skills acquisition programme.

In that regard the Commission has been involved in monitoring proceedings in which the parties provided progress information to the Commission on career paths and training modules for skills acquisition.

In these latest proceedings the Commission was apprised by the parties that they had completed a comprehensive award modernisation review and had succeeded in reducing the classification structure to the foreshadowed five levels. Skills acquisition for those classification levels will be available to employees as set out in the Emu Bay Railway Restructuring Agreement of November 1990 (Exhibit EBR.1). This document was discussed in an earlier decision2 in this matter.

The parties have satisfied the Commission that their final proposal for the restructuring of the award meets the requirements of the Wage Fixing Principles including that part which contemplates three percent increments where employees acquire the necessary skills as set out in the Emu Bay Railway Skills Acquisition Programme.

The award provisions now endorsed by the Commission will facilitate enhanced working arrangements which I accept will benefit the employer and employees alike. I encourage employees to avail themselves of the career path opportunities now available to them and for the employer to organise work in such a way as to maximise the skills available to the enterprise.

The order, operative from the first full pay period to commence on or after 15 November is attached.

 

R K Gozzi
COMMISSIONER

Appearances:
Mr M Grey with Mr J White and Mr P Hale for the Federated Engine Drivers' and Firemen's Association of Australasia, Tasmanian Branch.
Mr M K Hill with Mr P Anderson for the Metals and Engineering Workers Union.
Mr W R Neil with Mr P Anderson for the Australian Railways Union (Tasmanian Branch).
Mr R Murphy with Mr R Evetts and Mr D Skinner for the Emu Bay Railway Company Limited.

Date and Place of Hearing:
1991
Hobart
September 6
Burnie
March 26
November 11

1 T2822 of 1990 dated 27 February 1991
2 Ibid