Seven million dollars of efficiency to be found at FWA
19 April 2012, 9:37am
FWA has advised CPSU delegates that the increased efficiency dividend will require a reduction in spending by about $7 million by 30 June 2013. This is from a current budget of about $75 million dollars.
A budget review process has now been implemented to help find savings.
The FWA is following Government’s direction in looking to find savings in
the following areas:
Replacing domestic and international travel with the use of the
Government’s virtual meeting (telepresence) facilities
Reductions in agency spend on hospitality and entertainment
Minimising media and advertising expenditure
Reductions in printing and publication expenditure
More efficient and consistent delivery of training
Reductions in the use of consultants and contractors
With staff costs accounting for 65% of the FWA budget and property accounting
for a further 20% the CPSU has concerns that ultimately FWA may need to look at
a reduction in staffing levels.
A number of other Commonwealth Agencies including the FWO, ABCC DEEWR DHS and
Climate Change have already announced staff cuts. More information can be found
at Our jobs and services matter campaign page.
What is the CPSU doing?
We wrote to the FWA seeking their commitment to apply the CPSU principles for
fair workplace change (see over). We have met with the FWA but to date they have
not committed to our principles as job cuts have not yet been identified. CPSU
delegates will meet with the FWA once the staff consultation process on savings
is finalised.
The CPSU campaigns for jobs and jobs security across the APS. To do this we
need to be strong. Join CPSU here and
be ahead of the game.
CPSU Principles for fair and transparent workplace change
Consultation
Consultation with the CPSU and employees more broadly about the
potential impact of the budget and the need for redundancies as information
becomes available
Consultation consistent with the terms of the agreement on structural
changes before decisions are made
Information about positions to be abolished including number and levels
of positions affected in advance of any announcement
A commitment to a transparent and fair process that safeguards against
preferential treatment
Timely information to employees including information about their
entitlements
Selection Process & Redeployment
An expression of interest process that is open to all employees of FWA
to allow employees to express interest in potentially accepting a voluntary
redundancy
Employees will not be pressured into taking a redundancy and in
accordance with the APS redeployment policy redundancies will not be offered
on the basis of performance
In terms of offering voluntary redundancies, employees who express
interest in a voluntary redundancy will be given preference over employees
who are employed in areas subject to rationalisation and who wish to
continue employment at FWA. FWA will utilize all efforts to retain these
employees.
Service Delivery and Employee Impact
Adequate protection for all remaining staff from excessive workloads
FWA to confirm with Government that it will not be expected to provide
the same level of service to Government where the staffing and resources are
reduced and that this is properly understood by Government and management.
Staff who want to stay working in the APS get access to internal job
transfers and the APS wide redeployment register
A commitment from FWA to ensure all affected employees are provided with
to adequate training and development to enable transfer to available at
level positions.
