News

TAFE Restructure: Market Group

Yesterday, members and the CPSU NSW were advised that TAFE NSW is proceeding with yet another restructure, this time in the Market Group. We were informed of this restructure via letter, which stated that the consultation process commenced yesterday (14 July 2021) and is to conclude on 4 August 2021.

Despite the consultation process only having just begun, the CPSU NSW found out that members had started to receive their placement letters as a part of the restructure. The CPSU NSW considers that this flies in the face of genuine consultation, given that the purpose of consultation is to advise the affected members (and their representatives) of any proposed changes, to seek feedback in relation to these changes and, finally, to give genuine consideration of any concerns that members and their union might have.

The consultative process is not an exercise that an employer goes through in order to simply tick a box.

As a result, the CPSU NSW lodged a dispute under the Enterprise Agreement in relation to what we consider to be a breach of the relevant consultative provisions. It is our view that TAFE has an obligation to provide the following:

• Information, including justification, for the proposed restructure.
• The exact number of jobs that they proposed to cut.
• Why this number was arrived at, and what data was relied upon in order to reach this decision.
• How the mapping/mapping process will be relied upon in order to determine where staff land in the placement process.
• Copies of every new position description that will form the basis of those roles that will exist in the new structure, and justification for these position descriptions.

The CPSU NSW expects that all of this will be provided and that we will have the opportunity to consult members and subsequently provide feedback on all of the above prior to the implementation of any decision.

The importance of this lies in the nature of a restructure; when employees are potentially going to lose their jobs, TAFE NSW has an obligation to ensure that proper process is followed, and that they consult in good faith. This has not occurred, and this is why the CPSU NSW will continue with this dispute for as long as is necessary in order to ensure that TAFE adheres to their obligations under the Enterprise Agreement.

In the meantime, if you know of anybody who isn’t a union member but would like to join, they can join online here: www.cpsunsw.org.au/join. We are stronger as a collective, and acting in union is the only way that we will be able to stand up and fight against TAFE’s blatant cost-cutting measures.