Field Organiser – Brisbane

The primary function of this role is to develop and implement effective campaigns and strategies to build member’s collective power in the workplace. There is also a strong emphasis on recruiting members and developing member delegates and workplace leaders. (Possibility of part-time, negotiable upon application). Applications close on Monday 27^th February 2012 COB. 

Click here to view the Position Description. Applicants should forward a written statement addressing the selection criteria to careers@cpsu.org.au

Other positions currently available with the CPSU can be viewed here.

Author – Roslyn Beeby

The CSIRO delayed the release of an independent expert review of its oceans and climate research division for almost a year, claiming the report had to be signed off by the agency’s board before being circulated to staff.

CSIRO Staff Association president Michael Borgas has blasted the reason given for the delay as ”a farce”, saying the reviews are usually widely circulated to scientific staff for comment.

”In this case, staff were not given the chance to do this,” he said.

Dr Borgas has accused CSIRO’s top management of suppressing the report to avoid staff scrutiny of its recommendations and ”to allow a self-important management culture to implement its own agenda regarding the direction of future research”.

Read the full article here.

Note that the survey is a tool for the Staff Association to gather information on this issue. It is not intended to be comprehensive. More information about the survey is contained in the introduction of the online survey link. We will work with all members as we consider the issues arising from the survey. Thank you very much for your participation.

COMPLETE THE SURVEY HERE

Management’s failure to adequately consult staff on the CLI/CFNS amalgamation is the latest example of poor staff consultation at CSIRO and may be in breach of the Enterprise Agreement. It’s a poor way to begin the process.

Download the printable PDF bulletin for distribution or display in your workplace here.

Background

Since late last year, your Staff Association has requested information about the proposed amalgamation of the Divisions of Livestock Industries (CLI) and Food and Nutritional Sciences (CFNS). This included a specific request to establish a clear consultation process to consider any proposed changes.

HR management finally got around to crafting a response – on the last working day before Christmas – however their email evaded and/or failed to answer a number of the questions requested by CLI/CFNS members. Management also refused to provide information which outlined a risk assessment of the proposed amalgamation.

Tellingly, HR management’s response came only after the amalgamation decision had been finalised and broadcast to staff.

Why genuine consultation matters

Consulting with staff and their unions prior to making a decision allows staff to raise issues and provides the opportunity for management to address concerns – potentially by changing or improving the decision. Put simply, prior consultation gives staff a say and improves the quality of decision making.

It’s also an important part of the CSIRO Enterprise Agreement (EA). Clause 57 (l) of the EA states in part:

“Consultation facilitates informed decision making, particularly on matters that affect the employment of staff and provides officers and their representatives with a genuine opportunity to influence the decision maker.”

By consulting with staff after key decisions were made in relation to the CFNS/CLI amalgamation, HR management has in effect, denied staff this genuine opportunity.

Dispute notified

As a result of the failure to adequately consult, the Staff Association has notified a dispute under the dispute settlement procedures contained in the EA.

This is not a decision that has been taken lightly. Staff Association representatives met with HR management as recently as last December to provide examples of poor consultation in CSIRO. It’s now clear that our concerns fell on deaf ears.

It’s important to note that this dispute is not about the desirability of the amalgamation or about the management of the new division. This is about the right of staff and their unions to have a genuine say before decisions are determined at CSIRO.

More information

For more information on this issue or on joining the Staff Association, simply contact your local delegate, or email csstaff@cpsu.org.au

From door to door – We’ve got compensation covered

Your Staff Association believes that all CSIRO, AAO & NMI employees deserve a healthy and safe workplace. But when things go wrong with work – through accident, illness or injury – people should be looked after.

Did you know that you aren’t covered for the purposes of workers’ compensation during travel to and from the workplace, unless you are a Staff Association member?

What happened?

In 2007, the then Howard Government cut workers’ compensation coverage for Federal Government workers – including CSIRO, AAO & NMI employees – by changing the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. These changes removed workers’ compensation protections for travel and rest breaks.

Staff Association members are protected

The Staff Association believes that your journey to and from work should be protected, as it relates to your employment with CSIRO, AAO or NMI. So since 2007, free journey insurance, or income protection insurance, has been provided to Staff Association/CPSU members.

If you have an accident and are seriously injured on your journey to or from the workplace and don’t have enough sick leave credits to cover time off work, the income protection insurance kicks in. However this protection is only available to union members.

Recess cover reinstated

Following a campaign involving the CPSU and other unions, the Gillard Government restored workers’ compensation for rest/recess/meal breaks spent outside of the workplace. We will continue to keep the pressure on the Government to fully restore all workers’ compensation protections. In the meantime, the Staff Association will ensure our members are protected with journey insurance.

What if I’m not a Staff Association member?

Journey protection insurance is provided, free of charge, to Staff Association members. This income protection takes effect as soon as you become a member. To join, simply fill out a membership form and hand it to your Staff Association delegate, fax to 03 8620 6347 or scan and email to csstaff@cpsu.org.au

For more information about journey insurance, what is covered, and how to make a claim, click here.

Management’s review into Property Services – conducted by Grosvenor Consulting – appears to have created more questions than it has answered. Despite repeated requests from the Staff Association, CSIRO management refuses to release the entire Grosvenor Report. This begs the obvious question: why all the secrecy?

Download the printable PDF bulletin for distribution or display in your workplace here.

Background

CSIRO management released an executive summary of the Grosvenor Report to staff last November. Since this limited release a number of concerns have been expressed by Staff Association members about the review and the future of Property Services. These include inadequate consultation, concerns about the outsourcing of data capture and information management systems and fears that site-based shared services such as switchboards, mailrooms, reception and stores could be sold off in the future.

Clearly, there’s a desire for more information and greater detail than an executive summary could ever hope to provide.
To allay the concerns of employees and in the interest of openness, the Staff Association asked management to release the Grosvenor Report in its entirety. Management refused this request, citing confidentiality concerns.  

Full report still under wraps

We did offer to meet management halfway, indicating that a redacted version of the report that did not refer to individuals would be acceptable. Management refused again, this time claiming that it would not be helpful to release the full report as it’s important that the organisation “moves forward” – a somewhat bemusing response given the report considers the future of Property Services. 

It’s no surprise that senior management’s lack of transparency has fuelled suspicion about the content of the report. This growing reluctance to release the reports of consultants is becoming a worrying trend within CSIRO – with reviews into Finance and AAHL Engineering Services also being kept under wraps.

Action Planning Workshops

Let’s give credit where it’s due. Property Services management is conducting facilitated workshops for staff in all zones next month to examine what Property Services should look like in the future. They have also committed to responding to ideas raised or put forward. It’s important that all Staff Association members participate, raise all issues of concern and seek to ensure these are addressed.

Time for an FOI request?

Several members have requested that the Staff Association seek a full copy of the Grosvenor Report via Freedom of Information legislation. Next week we’ll be asking all members in Property Services to vote on how we should proceed.

For more information on this issue, or to join the Staff Association, contact your local delegate, visit the website at www.cpsu-csiro.org.au or email csstaff@cpsu.org.au

2012 PRIME MINISTER’S PRIZES FOR SCIENCE

25 Jan 2012

Joint media release with the Prime Minister, the Hon Julia Gillard MP

Senator Chris Evans – Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research

Read online.

Nominations have opened for the Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science – Australia’s most prestigious science awards.

The Prizes honour Australians who have made significant contributions to building a more prosperous and progressive society through scientific achievements and science education.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research Chris Evans today encouraged the science community to nominate outstanding colleagues for the Prizes.

The Prizes are part of the Australian Government’s Inspiring Australia strategy to foster greater scientific engagement.

Science and innovation are key drivers to improve Australia’s living standards, health, productivity and environment.

The Gillard Labor Government highly regards our scientific community for the tremendous contribution it makes to build a richer, fairer, cleaner and safer nation.

In the past, the Prizes have been awarded for Australian discoveries such as wireless LAN technology and the bionic ear and for achievements in areas like immunology, quantum technology and astronomy.

Past Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science recipients Elizabeth Blackburn AC and Brian Schmidt went on to be awarded Nobel Prizes in 2009 and 2011 respectively.

Other past recipients include Ezio Rizzardo and David Solomon, John Shine AO, John O’Sullivan, Ian Frazer, Graeme Clark AC and the late Frank Fenner AC.

The prizes are awarded in five categories:

• Prime Minister’s Prize for Science ($300,000);

• Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year ($50,000);

• Science Minister’s Prize for Life Scientist of the Year ($50,000);

• Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools ($50,000); and

• Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools ($50,000).

As well as the cash component, each of the five Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science comprise a gold or silver medallion and a lapel pin similar to that presented to recipients of Australian Honours like the AO.

Nominations close on 27 April and the Prizes will be announced later in the year.

People can find further information on the Prizes and nominate online by visiting www.innovation.gov.au/scienceprizes

Hawks Nest Waters a shark nursery

THIS comes after two attacks on people by white sharks at Jimmys beach over the last four years and regular shark sightings at Bennetts Beach.

Barry Bruce from CSIRO Marine Research has conducted extensive research on White Sharks in the area and believes the presence of these creatures is no reason to fear an attack.

“In general, the sharks appear to take little interest in surfers or swimmers in these areas,” Mr Bruce said.

Mr Bruce said that the coastal waters off Port Stephens are a seasonal nursery area for white sharks. Read the full article here.

Denise Hardesty (left) at Science Meets Parliament 2011

From abc.net.au 13th December 2011

Scientists comb beaches for rubbish clues

A team of scientists is combing Australia’s 35,000-kilometre coastline to measure marine debris and its impact on sea life.

The researchers are specifically studying the barcodes on items of rubbish in an attempt to trace the origin of products washing up on the shore.

The group is currently at Sydney’s Shelly Beach, a popular surf break known for its clean waves.

Denise Hardesty, a CSIRO researcher who heads the marine debris project, says scientists are using the Shelly Beach waterfront near Manly to get a snapshot of Sydney’s beachside pollution. Read the full article here.

Your Staff Association has been campaigning to progress and resolve issues raised by members at regional sites. In late 2010, the Staff Association lobbied CEO Megan Clark to conduct a Review to support Regional Science. A Working Group was formed with four nominated Staff Association members. A report from the Working Group, with proposed reccommendations, was considered at Consultative Council on 28 November. A full copy of the report can be found here.

Read more:

Regional Science Review (bulletin)

Regional Sites Working Group Report (report)