1
"Town of Kwinana (WA) Enterprise Agreement, 1996"
(From Dreamtime to Excellence)
NO. AG 88 of 1997
1.0TITLE
This Agreement shall be known as the "Town of Kwinana (WA) Enterprise Agreement, 1996" (From Dreamtime to Excellence) ("the Agreement")
2.0ARRANGEMENT
This Agreement is arranged as follows:
1.TITLE
2.ARRANGEMENT
3.APPLICATION
4.PARTIES TO THE AGREEMENT
5.DATE OF OPERATION - REVIEW AND RENEWAL
6.RELATIONSHIP TO AWARDS
7.CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
8.SHARED VISION FOR THE TOWN OF KWINANA
9.COMMUNICATION OF AGREEMENT
10.OBJECTIVES OF AGREEMENT
11.INTENT
12.WORKPLACE ORGANISATION
12.1PEAK STEERING TEAM
12.2IMPLEMENTING RESTRUCTURE
13. PRODUCTIVITY INITIATIVES
13.1WORK ORGANISATION
13.2QUALITY ASSURANCE
13.3KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
13.4BENCHMARKING
13.5AUTONOMOUS WORK TEAMS
13.6PAID TIME OFF INITIATIVE
13.7ANNUALISED HOURS/SALARIES
13.8ONE AWARD/COMMON CONDITIONS
14.INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT THE INTRODUCTION OF CHANGE
14.1ETHICS
14.2WORKPLACE CHANGE
14.3DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS
14.4CONTINUITY OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
14.5EMPLOYMENT SECURITY
14.6EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY[SR1]
14.7TRAINING
14.8OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH
14.9EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY
14.10REDUNDANCY REDEPLOYMENT AND RETRAINING POLICY
14.11REDUNDANCY PROVISIONS
14.12COMPETITIVE TENDERING AND CONTRACTING OUT
14.13EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE
14.14FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES
14.15REMUNERATION PACKAGING
15.FEDERAL AND STATE WAGE PRINCIPLES
16.OTHER PARTIES
17.TIMETABLE FOR PAYMENT
18.EXECUTION OF AGREEMENT
ANNEXURE A - SCHEDULE OF RATES
3.0APPLICATION
This Agreement shall apply to the Mechanical Maintenance Section which covers an estimated two (2) employees.
4.0PARTIES TO THE AGREEMENT
The Parties to this Agreement are:
a)TheCouncil of the Town of Kwinana
b)The employees covered by the Metal Trades (General) Award, No 13 of 1965.
c)The Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union of Workers Western Australian Branch (“the AMWU”)
("the Parties")
5.0DATE AND OPERATION OF AGREEMENT - REVIEW AND RENEWAL
5.1The Agreement shall operate from 10 October 1996 until 9 October 1998 ("the Term").
5.2The Parties will commence negotiating a new agreement six (6) months prior to the expiration of the Term of this Agreement.
5.3An increase in the base rate of pay of an employee achieved as a result of this Agreement will remain and form the new base pay rates for future agreements or continue to apply in the absence of a further agreement.
5.4The intent of the Parties is to enter into a long term agreement to enable the effective implementation of initiatives which will increase productivity and improve the conditions of employees. If this Agreement is working well it is intended that a newAgreement will be entered intofor a further two years on similar terms.
5.5The Agreement shall continue to apply after the expiration of the Term provided that the Parties are negotiating in good faith to reach agreement in relation to a new enterprise bargaining agreement. If the Parties are not negotiating in good faith, this Agreement will lapse and the conditions of the Awards as at that point in time will apply to all employees.
5.6If the Parties are not negotiating in good faith as set out in Clause 5.5, then any of the Parties to the Agreement may give the Commission written notice stating that that Partner does not want to remain bound by the Agreement and the other relevant Parties shall consent to that Partner's withdrawal from the Agreement.
6.0RELATIONSHIP TO AWARDS
6.1The Agreement shall be read and interpreted wholly in conjunction with the Metal Trades (General) Award, No 13 of 1965, provided that where there is any inconsistency the terms of this Agreement shall apply to the extent of any such inconsistency.
6.2 The Agreement shall be read and interpreted wholly in conjunction with the Awards set out in this clause as they stand at the registration of this Agreement. Should there be any inconsistency between this Agreement on the one hand and the Awards on the other, this Agreement will prevail to the extent of the inconsistency. Subject to clause 5.5 and 5.6, this clause shall be operative until a new agreement is negotiated or for a period of thirty six (36) months, whichever is the earlier.
7.0CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
7.1The Parties covered by this Agreement have formed a Consultative Committee and through negotiations have reached agreement on the terms of this Agreement.
7.2This Agreement has been presented to employees at the Town of Kwinana who have endorsed it.
7.3The Consultative Committee has operated according to the principles set out in it's Charter, the terms of which are set out below:
The Committee members agree to -:
arrive at meetings on time
be honest in all dealings
develop mutual trust
respect the opinion of others
work towards one common goal
work as a team
represent the views of all staff and not personal views
listen to what all members have to say
be consistent
respect that members belong to different unions
represent consensus views of the Consultative Committee
come to meetings with an open mind and focus on the future
allow all members to express their viewpoint
set targets and focus on objectives and outcomes
take into account commercial realities when making suggestions or discussing issues
call on experts if needed
8.0SHARED VISION FOR THE TOWN OF KWINANA
8.1The Parties to this Agreement are committed in striving to achieve the Town of Kwinana's vision which is:
"KWINANA THE PROUD HAPPY PLACE WHERE ALL PEOPLE LIVE TOGETHER IN A TOLERANT WAY IN A MIXTURE OF CULTURES AND LIFESTYLES, LOOKING FORWARD TO A WELL PLANNED FUTURE".
8.2The Town of Kwinana's mission statement is:
"TO PROVIDE AN OPEN, CAPABLE, ACCOUNTABLE AND VISIONARY ORGANISATION ENSURING THE COMMUNITY THE BEST QUALITY OF LIFE THROUGH FACILITATING THE PROVISION OF SERVICES".
9.0COMMUNICATION OF AGREEMENT
In order to achieve this Agreement employees of the Town of Kwinana have been involved in the process through:
learning programs
awareness sessions
consultative meetings
briefings
dissemination of information
Feedback was encouraged to give employees input and ownership in the process.
This resulted in employees voting in support of the Agreement.
10.0OBJECTIVES OF AGREEMENT
All Parties are committed to improving performance at the Town of Kwinana where sustainable productivity improvements will make it a leader in Local Government. This Agreement is the catalyst for improvements through the concepts of continuous improvement, autonomous work teams and employee empowerment. The objectives of this Agreement are as follows:
10.1Provide a high quality of work life for all employees.
10.2Develop an organisational culture that encourages and embraces the concept of continuous learning.
10.3Create the concept of "one workforce - one team".
10.4Develop an organisation where everyone would like to work.
10.5Encourage employees to be innovative in a consultative and participative environment.
10.6Introduce initiatives, which may in the short term incur costs, in order to increase the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of the Council and have positive cost implications in the long term.
10.7Improve the organisation's customer focus.
10.8Increase the productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation.
11.0INTENT
This Agreement is designed to enable the Parties to work together in a co-operative manner, in an environment of honesty and mutual respect, to achieve the highest possible work performance. The Parties recognise that continued and enhanced employment opportunities can only be achieved by a process of continuously improving the quality, efficiency, safety, technology and productivity of work.
The Parties are committed to a continuing process of identifying activities which could be performed on a more cost effective basis. This includes taking a positive and proactive approach to overcoming inefficiencies resulting fromtraditional philosophies, agreements and practices.
12.0WORKPLACE ORGANISATION
12.1PEAK STEERING TEAM
12.1.1Formation of the Peak Steering Team
A key initiative for maximising employee ownership through involvement and genuine interaction is the formation of a Peak Steering Team within one (1) month of the registration of the Agreement. The purpose of the Peak Steering Team is to provide support and positive leadership to employees at the Town of Kwinanaand to meet the objectives set out in subclause 12.1.2.
12.1.2Implementation of Initiatives
The responsibility of making decisions lies within all employees, therefore the Peak Steering Team will guide the implementation of initiatives by meeting the following objectives:
to develop and maintain the charter and meeting procedure by which the Peak Steering Team operates
to communicate progress and status of initiatives
to give employees ownership of the workplace by allowing them to make decisions affecting their work practices, subject to appropriate limitations and the acceptance of responsibility and accountability
to discuss any issues related to organisational change
to oversee the successful development, implementation and monitoring of Key Performance Indicators
to monitor the implementation of the Agreement
to develop trust and teamwork within the Town of Kwinana
to create an environment where everyone is treated in a fair and equitable manner
to work at creating a workplace where everyone would like to work
to develop and implement a code of ethics as referred to in Clause 14.1 of this Agreement.
to develop a strategy to monitor the implementation of the organisational re-structure and evaluate it's effectiveness.
12.1.3Council Commitment
The Peak Steering Team and the Council or it's representativeswill meet on a quarterly basis to discuss progress of the implementation of initiatives contained within the Agreement. Strategic issues which may impact on the future direction of the Town of Kwinana will be discussed and communicated with employees.
12.1.4Frequency and Timing of Meetings
Meetings will take place on a monthly basis at a time to be determined by the Peak Steering Team.
12.1.5Composition of the Peak Steering Team
a)The Peak Steering Team will comprise elected representatives covered by each of the following award or group of awards. Each representative shall be elected by the employees under the relevant awards for a period of twelve (12) months:
- Local Government Officers' (Western Australia) Award 1988 (two representatives)
- Municipal Employees’ (Western Australia) Award, 1988 (one representative)
- Child Care (Subsidised Centres) Award (one representative)
- Metal Trades (General) Award, No 13 of 1965
A proxy should be elected to attend in the absence of one of the representatives.
b)The Town of Kwinana will have a total of four (4) representatives (including the Chief Executive Officer) or in their absence a proxy.
c)Each of the Union Parties will also be members of the Peak Steering Team
d)Chairperson
The Peak Steering Team will select a Chairperson from it's membership. The position of Chairperson will be rotated on a six (6) monthly basis. The Chairperson is responsible for orderly conduct of meetings and ensuring an open and balanced discussion at all meetings.
e)Administrative Support
The Town of Kwinana will provide an Administrative Officer to provide support to the Peak Steering Team. The AdministrativeOfficer is responsible for convening of meetings, written notification to members, distribution of agenda and minutes, recording of minutes and follow up to action items.
f)Decision Making Process
All decisions of the Peak Steering Team shall be made by consensus.
12.2IMPLEMENTING RESTRUCTURE
The Parties are committed to the implementation of the organisational restructure as discussed with the Consultative Committee.
13.0PRODUCTIVITY INITIATIVES
13.1WORK ORGANISATION
The Parties to this Agreement are committed to improving the organisation and work through the development of a more dynamic and responsive empowered organisation.
13.1.1Demarcation
The introduction of new technologies, the empowerment of employees, the move towards Autonomous Work Groups/Teams and continuous workplace improvement will result in work being organised on a whole of job approach. This may necessitate changes to some existing work practices and the removal of current restrictions, restraints and barriers.
Every endeavour will be made to resolve demarcations at the workplace through consultation with employees and their union representatives.
13.1.2Cross Skilling
The Parties are committed to the concept of cross skilling where there may be significant benefits to both the employee and the employer. Cross skilling will lead to a reduction in both casual and temporary staff numbers and a higher level of customer servicewhich will have a positive impact on the performance of the organisation. Cross skilling will also provide increased job satisfaction and alternative career pathing for employees. The Parties agree to explore the concept of an understudy scheme.
13.1.3Rostered Day off
The Parties are committed to exploring the opportunity of re-organising the Rostered Day system to improve work coverage through better planning, re-organising and or scheduling of Rostered Days.
This will only occur through extensive consultation and with the agreement of all Parties.
13.1.4Allowances
The Parties agree to explore the opportunity of simplifying the payment of allowances.
13.1.5Hours of Work
(a)The intent of this sub-clause is to:
give employees the opportunity of working more flexible hours to take into account factors such as family responsibility, and
enable the organisation to provide a higher level of customer service.
(b)Ordinary hours for other employees shall average 38 hours per week over a four week period, Monday to Friday and are to be worked between 0600 hours and 1800 hours as required (excludes shift employees) to a maximum of ten hours per day.
(c)Employees may be given the opportunity to work ordinary hours outside the hours set out in paragraph (c) of this sub-clause at base rates without overtime penalties by written agreement between the employer, employee and the relevant Union Partner.
(d)Neither the employer or an employee can be forced to reach any agreement pursuant to paragraph (f) of this sub-clause.
(e)The Parties agree that an arrangement pursuant to paragraph (f) of this sub-clause shall not create a precedent binding on the Parties nor shall it be a condition precedent to gaining employment for any person.
13.1.6Relief Staff
The Parties agree to review the use of relief staff with the intention of reducing the associated cost. The levels of customer service provided should be taken into consideration during the review process.
13.2QUALITY ASSURANCE
The Parties are committed to ensuring that procedures, policies and processes are implemented to meet the standards required in order to achieve Accreditation to a nationally recognised Quality Standard.
MILESTONE 1
M1a Developing a Quality manual and supporting procedures within twelve (12) months of registration of the Agreement.
M1bThe workplaces covered by this Agreement being accredited as quality assured to ISO9002 or other equivalent standard.
13.3KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
13.3.1The Parties agree Key Performance Indicators ("KPI's") will be identified, monitored and evaluated by Teams with the main focus being on improving performance through measurement and learning.
13.3.2The Peak Steering Team will oversee the establishment and implementation of Key Performance Indicators within areas covered by this Agreement.
13.3.3Appropriate training will be provided to Teams and facilitators. The Parties are committed to supporting this process by providing necessary resources.
(Note: This process will not be used to check or monitor individual performance.)
MILESTONE 2
M2aWithin nine (9) months of registering the Agreement, teams and team members will have received training in the implementation of key performance indicators.
M2bWithin twelve (12) months of registration of the Agreement, teams will have developed key performance indicators and be actively monitoring and evaluating the results.
13.4BENCHMARKING
The Parties are committed to benchmarking processes and practices within the Town of Kwinana. Benchmarking is an ongoing, systematic process to search for and introduce best practice to the Council. The search may be of products, services or business practices and processes of competitors or those organisations whether local, national or international are recognised as leaders in the industry or specific business processes which have been chosen. It is imperative this process be seen to be one where opportunities may be found through not just comparing services but also improving them. Benchmarking is another catalyst which may remove complacency in organisations in the quest to strive towards Best Practice.
The intention will be to benchmark comparable groups, sections or organisations. There will be an analysis of costs included in the process rather than just focussing on the bottom line.
The Peak Steering Team will monitor the benchmarking process and promote it throughout the organisation.
13.5AUTONOMOUS WORK TEAMS
13.5.1An Autonomous Work Team is a group of employees who:
share the responsibility for a particular unit of production;
are responsible for a "whole" work process or segment that delivers a product or service to an internal or external customer.
work together to improve their operations, handle day-to-day problems, and plan and control their work, managing many of the things supervision or management used to do.
13.5.2The Parties will promote the concept of Autonomous Work Teams by allowing employees more scope in decision making and encouraging involvement in planning the way work is carried out.
13.5.3The Parties see the following benefits of teams. Teams:
develop a broader range of tasks and skills
provide greater flexibility and adaptability
require less supervision
are able to respond to technological change more quickly
act as a catalyst for the introduction of and acceptance of cultural change
attract and retain the best people (employee retention rates increase)
improve the work flow and overall performance of the organisation
enable the development of leadership and interpersonal skills
13.5.4Team Strategy
The Peak Steering Team will develop an agreed strategy and plan on the development of Teams at the Town of Kwinana inwhich the processes, roles and responsibilities will be outlined. The strategy will address competencies and training required and ascertain appropriate levels of delegation.
MILESTONE 3
M3aWithin six (6) months of registration of the Agreement the Peak Steering Team will support the development of an agreed strategy and plan for the development of teams and employees provided with awareness training on team composition and performance.
M3bWithin twelve (12) months of registration of the Agreement, work teams will be established and boundaries and outcomes, responsibilities and operational budgets/resources defined.
13.6PAID TIME OFF INITIATIVE
The Parties are committed to exploring the opportunity of introducing a paid-time off initiative.
13.7ANNUALISED HOURS/SALARIES
The Parties may agree to an alternative method of payment involving annualised hours/salaries whereby employees are paid a fixed fortnightly amount which will be independent of actual hours worked. Each work team should be reviewed individually to determine whether such an initiative would be mutually beneficial to all the parties involved. Any implementation of annualised hours/salaries will be subject to full consultation and agreement of the Parties.
MILESTONE 4
M4Within eighteen (18) months of registration of the Agreement the concept of annualised hours will be explored and proposals will be fed back to the Peak Steering Team for their consideration.