05 June 2020

• Joint Communique – Recreational leave balances
• Airservices Culture Review
• Engineer Registration

Joint Communique – Recreational leave balances

After hearing examples from members about inconsistencies in the approach of Airservices’ move to reduce recreation leave balances, PA consulted with members and your delegates regarding the negotiation of a joint communique with Airservices to provide clarity on what’s being requested and ensure mutual flexibility for Airservices and staff.

The joint communique will outline the rationale behind Airservices requests to take leave, while confirming that for Corporate EA staff, they must be requests, not directions. More info is available at clause 45 of the Corporate EA.

Through our discussions with Airservices we’ve been able to ensure that requests to acquit leave are only made down to your March 2020 balance, therefore leaving some leave available for personal or family use. The communique will also make it clear that there should be flexibility observed regarding staff requests to vary/amend existing leave bookings. Airservices advise that moving forward, requests to amend/vary existing bookings should not require EGM approval. Please let us know if you encounter difficulty with this.

Members can view a copy of the communique below.

Airservices Culture Review

Now that we’ve all had some time to reflect on the findings of the culture review, we’ll be holding a teleconference next week to hear your views on what action our union should take from here to ensure cultural issues are dealt with and ensure we create a better Airservices Australia.

Engineer Registration

Airservices have advised Professionals Australia that further progress has been made on the consultation and design of measures to bring the Agency into compliance with legislation requiring engineer registration.

The consultation portal contains the most up to date information

Registration is compulsory in Queensland right now, the Victorian regulations will commence next year, legislation was passed in NSW on Tuesday, and the ACT Government are designing their scheme now.

Joint Communique between Professionals Australia and Airservices Australia

Recreation leave usage during Covid-19

The current Covid-19 crisis has had an unprecedented impact on the aviation industry and Airservices. We face significant challenges caused by the disruption to the aviation sector from COVID-19 and the associated decrease in revenue. Throughout this event, we need to ensure that Airservices steadies itself for the future while we continue to assess the likely length and long-term impact of the crisis.

The challenges triggered by COVID-19 have been unprecedented and took many industries by surprise and quick responses have been required. Professionals Australia and Airservices share an interest in improving our collaboration and cooperation to help ensure consistency in information provided to staff and see us through this crisis as we move into an increasingly unstable future operating environment.

Recently you may have heard people talking about using their recreation leave or you may have been asked to use some of your recreation leave before the end of the financial year. You may be aware that recreation leave is a liability on Airservices’ books that in normal circumstances is “offset” by revenue coming in. Given that Airservices’ revenue has suffered a significant reduction due to Covid-19, Airservices is asking and encouraging people to utilise their leave so that the organisation’s recreation leave liability is reduced so that our reduced revenue can cover the liability to help the organisation to remain solvent. Using recreation leave is one of the simplest and easiest ways we can work together to help Airservices through the current crisis and it also enables people to have some choice in the timing of their leave.

Airservices’ aim is to acquit the recreation leave balance (as it stood at 16 March 2020) by 30 June 2020. Setting a target of the 16 March recreational leave balance will ensure that staff retain some recreational leave to assist in meeting family and personal commitments. To achieve this we need collective participation. Our Corporate Enterprise Agreement allows for staff with an excessive leave balance to be directed to take leave. For staff on the Corporate EA where leave balances are not in excess however, requests to take leave can be made and Airservices and Professionals Australia strongly encourage staff to participate.

We encourage staff and managers to discuss how March leave balances can be used towards the end of the financial year or shortly thereafter. We encourage staff and managers to observe a flexible approach in acquitting recreational leave balances, including considering flexibility in modifying existing leave arrangements.