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AUSTRALIA POST TWELVE HOUR SHIFT OPERATIONS AGREEMENT 1992

      PDF Copy of Agreement

          Relationship to Parent Awards
      1.  Shift Duration and Starting and Finishing Times
      2.  Penalty Payments
      3.  Overtime
      4.  Recall
      5.  Rosters
      6.  Shift Cycle
      7.  Breaks
      8.  Annual Recreation Leave
      9.  Sick Leave
      10. Special Leave
      11. Other Leave
      13. Long Service Leave
      14. Higher Duties

GUIDELINES FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF TWELVE HOUR SHIFT OPERATIONS

1. Twelve hour shifts will only apply to 24 hour stations. Conversion to twelve hour shifts does not automatically include all staff working at the subject station on shift rosters and must be agreed to by Australia Post, C.W.U. and the majority of shift staff.

2. Consideration of the introduction of twelve hour shifts should be on a centre by centre basis and must not adversely affect the viability of the station's operations with respect to service standards.

3. Twelve hour shifts are not appropriate to functions requiring heaving physical involvement or where an inappropriate working environment exists; (e.g. high levels of heat, noise, etc.).

4. Twelve hour shifts are not appropriate where a constant high level of physical or mental commitment is required.

5. Twelve hour shifts are not appropriate where short cycle repetitive roles are involved; (e.g. processing type activities).

6. Twelve hour shifts are not appropriate where uneven loadings in peaks increase demands in one shift over another.

7. As a general principle, the introduction of twelve hour shift operations shall not result in an increase in staff numbers or overtime. In exceptional circumstances where all other principles are met at a particular location, and an agreed health professional advises that existing rostering arrangements mean that strict adherence to this principle would result in adverse occupational health and safety impacts, variations from this principle may be considered in the light of that advice.

8. There must be the need for ongoing shift work at the station for at least two years.

9. Overtime is not to be performed where it will fall within a period of twelve hours either side of a normal day or night shift, except in emergency situations when immediate relief is unavailable. In such situations, overtime should be restricted to a maximum of two hours.

10. In all but exceptional circumstances, the maximum length of time a worker should have to remain on duty beyond rostered shift completion time is two hours.

11. If twelve hour shifts are in operation, the maximum number of consecutive night shifts to be rostered should be not more than three (3).

12. Staff called in for non-rostered duty should be twelve hours clear of duty on either side of the shift.

13. Swaps on the roster should be avoided as far as possible. Where required' they should be subject to the discretion of the officer-in-charge, who is to ensure that adequate rest breaks are provided and fundamental twelve hour roster principles are applied.

14. Staff may rest (for a reasonable period) on the premises at the completion of a twelve hour shift if they do not feel competent to make an immediate departure for home.

15. Twelve hour shift work rosters must be developed in consultation with workers and appropriate unions.

16. Twelve hour roster operation in any station will be subject to review within the first twelve months of operation. If adverse indicators in performance or staff health are evident, twelve hour shifts would be discontinued.

17. The services of an agreed health professional will be used in the compilation of rosters.

1 - SHIFT DURATION AND STARTING AND FINISHING TIMES

1.1 A working week is to be consistent with sub-clause 10 b (i) of the Australian Postal Commission Technical and Engineering Staff (Salaries and Specific Conditions of Employment) Award 1982.

1.2 Shifts will not exceed twelve hours and fifteen minutes duration.

1.3 Shift times will be 06.00 to 18.15 (day shift) and 18.00 to 06.15 (night shift). These times are open to discussion between both parties.

1.4 Once agreement has been reached on start and finish times, shift times are not to be varied by more than one half hour,

2 - PENALTY PAYMENTS

2.1 Shift Duty.

2.2 Both the day and night shifts to attract penalty payments.

2.3 Penalty payments will be as per sub-clause 15 (a) - Shift duty, of the Postal General Conditions of Employment Award 1989.

2.4 Payment in lieu for an employee rostered off on a public holiday will be twelve hours fifteen minutes.

3 - OVERTIME

3.1 Overtime is not to be performed where it will fall within a period of twelve hours either side of a normal day or night shift, except in emergency situations when immediate relief is unavailable. In such situations, overtime should be restricted to a maximum of two hours.

4 - RECALL

4.1 Recall rates as per clause 16 - Emergency duty, of the Postal General Conditions of Employment Award 1989, should be paid to staff for emergency duty not on their roster where:
(a) they are not told of an additional shift while on duty as per the Postal Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual 18.1.
(b) if they are called while off duty they are not given twelve hours notice of an additional shift.

4.2 That in the event of an officer being recalled under Emergency Duty Conditions, a Meal Allowance be payable for each 12 hour shift attendance, or where an attendance under Emergency Duty Conditions exceeds 5 hours and extends into a recognised meal break.

5 - ROSTERS

5.1 Rosters are to be determined by consultation between local management, staff and CWU, with an input from an agreed health professional.

5.2 Alterations to rosters are only to be implemented following consultation between local management, staff and an agreed health professional.

5.3 Swaps on the roster should be avoided. Where required, they should be subject to the approval of the station officer-in-charge, who is to ensure that adequate between shift breaks are provided and fundamental twelve hour roster principles are applied, as described in paragraph 1.

6 - SHIFT CYCLE

6.1 Cycles of shifts will be agreed between parties subject to the following conditions:
(a) As a principle no more than four consecutive day shifts should be rostered.
(b) As a principle no more than three consecutive night shifts should be rostered.
(c) Working additional shifts beyond those rostered will be voluntary.

6.2 Consecutive night and day shifts are not to be rostered or performed.

7 - BREAKS

7.1 Two paid meal breaks of 30 minutes duration are to be included in each shift. Staff may be required to remain "on-site" during these meal breaks but will be paid no penalty in situations where they are required to work for any or all of the break periods.

7.2 Provided that no employee is required to work for a continuous period of more than five hours without a meal break, the time of taking meal breaks is to be agreed by the parties.

8 - ANNUAL RECREATION LEAVE

8.1 Accrual of annual recreation leave will be based on four weeks at 36 3/4 hours per week.

8.2 For the purposes of additional recreation leave provided by clause 23 of the Postal General Conditions of Employment Award 1989, the working of two twelve hour shifts shall be deemed to be the equivalent of the working of three ordinary shifts.

9 - SICK LEAVE

9.1 Sick leave accrual will be based on 73 hours 30 minutes full and 73 hours 30 minutes half pay per annum.

9.2 The number of hours allowed without the production of a medical certificate in any sick leave year is to be regarded as 36 0/4 hours.

9.3 Three consecutive days sick leave for the purposes of the meaning of section 14.12.9 of the Postal Personnel Policies & Procedures Manual is to be read as 24 hours 30 minutes in consecutive shifts.

9.4 Sick leave will be denoted in hours and minutes.

9.5 Sick leave on a public holiday where an officer is rostered on duty will result in no debit from his or her sick leave credits and no payment of penalty rates or payment in lieu for the shift not worked.

10 - SPECIAL LEAVE

10.1 Special leave entitlements are to be read as 24 hours 30 minutes.

11 - BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

11.1 Leave entitlements under clause 27 of the General Conditions of Employment Award are to be read as 24 hours 30 minutes.

12 - OTHER LEAVE

12.1 For all other leave entitlements, a twelve hour fifteen minute shift will be regarded in hours and minutes.

13 - LONG SERVICE LEAVE

13.1 All details and entitlements relating to long service leave will remain unaltered, ie. accrual will be at the rate of 3/10 calendar month for each completed year of service.

14 - HIGHER DUTIES

14.1 Performance in another position for one shift will, subject to normal higher duties principles, accrue twelve hours fifteen minutes (1 day 4 hours 54 minutes based on a 7 hour 21 minute day) towards a higher duties increment.

14.2 A higher duties increment will accrue after 261 days, based on a 7 hour 21 minute day, in any two year period.

14.3 Leave which affects higher duty service will do so at the equivalent rate of one shift (twelve hours fifteen minutes) per absence, except for part shift absences.



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