Progress of the proposed transition of Local Governments to the State IR system
 
WALGA Employee Relations has prepared a new fact sheet to assist the sector to understand and keep track of the steps that are to be completed before WA Local Governments and Regional Councils (Local Governments) are transitioned to the State industrial relations (IR) system. 
 
It is likely that the outstanding steps will now progress with the election of the new Labor Federal Government.  
 
Further information about the proposed transition can be accessed by the Local Government sector here.
 
The State Minister for IR welcomes feedback from Local Governments about the transition during budget estimates
 
On 26 May 2022, during parliamentary debates about the budget estimates for IR, the State Government’s Minister for IR, Bill Johnston, outlined that the remaining parts of the Industrial Relations Legislation Amendment Act 2021 (WA) to facilitate the transfer of Local Governments to the State IR system would be proclaimed when the necessary regulations were finalised sometime in June 2022. This is already reflected in WALGA’s new fact sheet referred to above.
 
Despite continued advocacy by WALGA to inform the State Government that Local Governments do not wish to be mandated into the State IR system and will require funding if the transition proceeds, Minister Johnston outlined:
  • he had not seen any evidence to support that there is a cost in the transition; and
  • had only received correspondence from Local Governments confirming they support the transition.
As Minister Johnston wants to hear from Local Governments about the proposed transition, we encourage you to write directly to him to inform him of your Local Government’s resource requirements to enable a smooth transition to the State IR system.
 
Your recent feedback illustrates that of the 71 Local Governments that participated in the survey:
  • 77.46% do not support the transition from the Federal to the State IR system; and
  • 66.20% would prefer a referral of powers so that Local Government can all operate in the Federal IR system.   
If you have any questions about writing to the Minister, please contact us at employeerelations@walga.asn.au.
  
Additional resources for ER subscribers
 
WALGA Employee Relations (ER) has published additional award comparison guides for subscribers to the ER service.
 
The guides can be accessed here once you have logged into the subscription service area on our website and can be used to:
  • Prepare for a potential transition from the Federal IR system to the State IR system.
  • Consider the different award entitlements across the two IR jurisdictions. 
  • Formulate bargaining strategies and responses to union log of claims.
Subscribers to the ER service can also contact WALGA ER for further assistance about bargaining in both the IR jurisdictions. The team:
  • regularly undertakes compliance reviews of enterprise agreements, and
  • is ready to share up-to-date knowledge of the State IR system bargaining framework – having recently considered the practical steps of Local Governments who have gone through the process and registered agreements in the State system, and delivered a webinar in March on the bargaining framework in the State IR system. 
WALGA will continue to update you on key changes and impacts as they arise via the State IR Transition Bulletin.
 
If you subscribe to the WALGA Employee Relations service and have any questions about this alert, please email WALGA Employee Relations or call 1300 366 956.