Friday 23/3/2007 finally saw the first meeting of the Administration Officers Working Party, a joint union management group set up to look at the pay grades for all administrative workers within the Department of Corrections.

Titled by the department as the Review of Field Administration Staff Salary Structure Working Party, we shall continue the brevity of AOWP.

The working party is of considerable size with representatives from CANZ, PSA and management. It is to be hoped that the size will be of benefit rather than an obstruction to progress.

The first meeting featured introductions, a presentation from Mercer on the job-sizing tool to be used and significant discussion on the scope of the project.

A major issue was the jobs covered by the review. It has been agreed that all jobs covered by the respective CEAs will be in; this therefore excludes jobs at head office.

Timelines were also debated and remain an issue to be resolved as CANZ are committed to having the findings of the working party available for bargaining purposes when CEAs come up for renegotiation. More news on this when we have agreement.

It was decided that the stakeholders in the project were the respective unions and their members, Senior Management Team and Line and HR management in PPS, POS, CIE and A&P.

Whist the work of the group is focused on examining the adequacy and equitability of current scales; it is inevitable that other issues will arise. Where these issues fall outside of the scope of the project they will be referred back into an appropriate forum.

Your representatives on this working party are:

• Janice Yarham
• Pam McDonald

These members are supported by CANZ National Officer Willie Cochrane

If you are not currently a CANZ member and would like to have more information on joining then you can e-mail willie.cochrane@corrections.govt.nz or visit the CANZ website @ www.canz.gen.nz

Willie Cochrane
CANZ
National Vice President