CASA WRG May Meeting Updates May 2024
The AFAP attended the first Workplace Relations Group (WRG) committee meeting in 2024 held on the 24 May 2024. This is also the first WRG meeting since your new CASA enterprise agreement come into effect earlier in 2024.
General Updates from the WRG include.
- Terms of Reference drafted for the committee(s) and requests for any feedback.
- Implementation of employee payments from the new agreement have occurred (undertaken in February and March 2024).
- Development of procedures for 'leave' and 'work hours', due to changes in the agreement require updating and consultation with employees, this is including Flying Operations (FO) classified employees to access time off in lieu – as per clause 34.
- Strategic Workforce Plan provided to all CASA staff (reported during the bargaining this work had commenced).
- Project is commencing soon for the work level standard review for the ASR2, ASR3, FO2 and FO3 classifications.
- General training and FACT updates were provided (more detail to be discussed in TCC).
- Workforce metrics reports provided to the WRG committee.
- It was proposed there will be 2 WRG Meetings scheduled in 2024.
- All unions (as per the terms in the new agreement) sought access to employee inductions through 2024 that CASA is yet to implement.
Please note. Detailed updates and minutes should be available on the internal CASA intranet for all employees to review.
AFAP Members in Flying Operations Classifications, Key Items To Monitor:
- As above, CASA will be providing all employees the updates on a consultation process for the updated procedures for ‘leave’ and ‘working hours’.
- Consultation is expected to occur over a period of 3 weeks– any feedback/concerns can also be reported back to AFAP in case we are required to follow up.
- Important note to above, AFAP members should review the CASA proposed approach for capturing your additional hours to access TOIL to make sure it is practical and appropriate, and as per clause 34 of the new agreement.
- Members should also be considering pursuing positive outcomes from the CASA undertaking for a “proposed methodology” as per the new agreement clause 77, in particular this provides,
- 77.1.3. The focus of the method will be the development of workforce composition profiles addressing CASA’s aviation technical workforce requirements, considering the aviation community regulatory oversight requirements, ICAO requirements, risk factors, location, the number of Authorisation holders, workforce structure, workload considerations and work requirements.
- The AFAP expect updates from CASA on the progress on a proposed methodology in the month of June 2024 with further updates to come.
- It is expected work level reviews for FO2 and FO3 will require AFAP members feedback and engagement later this year, once the review project is up and running.
New Technical Consultative Committee
The new Technical Consultative Committee (TCC) formed under the new agreement is yet to be meet, and we are awaiting confirmation of the first meeting date.
This is a good opportunity for FO's to being up any concerns, queries or areas required for clarifications as well as focus on improving support to all FO's through this new mechanism that will focus on Flying Operations and matters relevant to AFAP members.
AFAP WRG & TCC Committee Representatives – Expressions of Interest
The AFAP note many members were active during the enterprise bargaining and appreciate all the efforts as engagement is always key to better outcomes. During the bargaining this identified lots of active members willing to provide feedback and assistance that might want to consider a small commitment to assist these committees with a group of your colleagues.
Matters during the life of the Agreement is often just as important as the negotiations themselves, as this will assist to keep discussions focused on the outcomes of various undertakings and actions in the new agreement to align to their original intent and object.
There is the option to form a small team of AFAP members to work with an AFAP Industrial Officer on the WRG & TCC committees (meeting each quarter), share the workload between us, as well as coordinate with other Technical Unions.
AFAP members may provide an expression of interest to be on the WRG and/or TCC by emailing the AFAP on Jason@afap.org.au (by close of business 7 June 2024).
Kind regards,
The AFAP Industrial Team