Publication:Sea Talk Spring 2003/Your Advocate
By CMDR Andrew Jackman
The Directorate of Navy Employment Conditions (DNEC) was formed in early 2002 from the Directorate of Personnel Policy– Navy (DPP-N) when it was reshaped to focus on employee advocacy.
In effect, this means that DNEC is responsible for representing Navy's conditions of service at the strategic level to ensure that they continue to maintain their relevance.
The Directorate of Navy Employment Conditions maintains close ties with many Directorates within the Defence Personnel Executive (DPE) to ensure that Navy's issues are being appropriately represented.
Extensive use is made of research material provided by the Directorate of Strategic Personnel Planning and Research (DSPPR) to ensure that decisions on employment conditions are made based on qualitative and quantitative evidence. DSPPR products are based on survey information such as the 'Your Say Survey', the 'Attitude Survey', exit surveys and the Defence Census.
Your feedback in these surveys therefore has a direct bearing on your employment conditions and every effort should be made to complete surveys in a timely fashion.
We also maintain close ties with the Defence Community Organisation (DCO) and Defence Families Australia (DFA) to monitor important family issues and to ensure family policies continue to meet the needs of the wider Navy family.
The remainder of this article is devoted to summarising the more recent changes to your employment conditions, both financial and nonfinancial.
Financial Conditions of Service
Remuneration for ADF members is split between two jurisdictions under the Defence Act . Under section 58b of the Act the Minister for Defence may determine remuneration and conditions of employment.
This section is usually used for the establishment of deployment allowances and allowances not in the nature of salary such as Travel Allowance and retention allowances.
Under section 58h of the Act the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal (DFRT) is empowered to determine the amount and structure of salary and allowances in the nature of salary such as Seagoing and Submarine Service Allowances.
In accordance with the Act, the Tribunal sit regularly to review existing matters and consider new matters. The following pay and allowance cases have been successfully progressed in 2003:
- Navy Photographers – increase of Pay Grade for some members
- EWAs – increase of Pay Grade for some members
- Competency based Salary and Career Structure for Dentists and Doctors
- Service Allowance increase of 16.4 percent
- Arduous Conditions Allowance reviewed but no changes at this time
- New Boarding Party Allowance – new element of Sea Going Allowance to be paid on occurrence for each member boarding foreign vessels to search/hold/ steaming party, quantum of $40 per day (members in receipt of other deployment allowances are not eligible.)
The following Pay and Allowance cases are scheduled for review in the next twelve months:
- Diving Allowance – scheduled for April 2004
- SETF Allowance – scheduled for October 2003
- Adventurous Training Instructor Allowance – scheduled May 2004
- Language Proficiency Allowance
- Specialist Operations Allowance
- Schedule 3 Pay Rates for Sailor Entry Officers
- Remuneration Reform Program (RRP) Phase 3 (Banded Pay Structure for Officers)
- Service Allowance (SA) for trainees.
Work has commenced on the next ADF Workplace Remuneration Agreement (WRA). The current WRA expires on 6 May 2004 with the final three percent pay rise delivered under the current agreement received on 3 July 2003.
Non Financial Conditions of Service
A number of important initiatives have been progressed during the first half of 2003. These include the introduction of
member choice for superannuation investment (MSBS), the development of a new military compensation scheme (MCS), and the undertaking of a number of Defence housing reviews.
The following points summarise the issues under development or completed in 2003.
Divisional Staff Handbook - The Divisional Staff Handbook was launched by DCN in July 2003. Distribution is being managed by TA-ITLM at HMAS Creswell. The contact phone number is (02) 4429 7917 if copies are required.
Individual Readiness (IR) - The revised DI(G) PERS 36-2 (ADF Policy on Individual Readiness) was released on 9 May 2003. DI(N) PERS 31-46 (RAN Policy on Individual Readiness) will be repromulgated to reflect the changes in the DI(G) and other IR policy areas.
Medical Employment Classification System – review is underway.
Health Promotion Program (HPP) for Reservists - review is underway.
New Military Compensation Scheme (MCS) – Development of a new military compensation scheme is underway.
Member Investment Choice for MSBS - MSBS members will be able to tailor their own superannuation investment strategy with their superannuation contributions from July 2003.
Members Without Dependants future accommodation arrangements project - This project aims to determine the ADF future requirements for Defence-provided accommodation for Members Without Dependants.
Housing/Accommodation - A Joint Working Group (JWG) on Housing Policy has been established to focus on simplifying the housing classification system under the Group Rent Scheme and defining the standard of Defence housing that may be provided to families into the future. The main task of the working group is to look at ways of providing greater choice and flexibility for members in their housing arrangements, whilst ensuring the needs of Defence families are fully met.
Changes to your conditions of service are regularly advised by signal and in Navy News. Keep your eye out for changes that affect you and for reviews that seek your input. Your feedback is important to the development of our conditions of service. Make it count.
If additional information is required on issues relating to Navy Employment Conditions, please contact CMDR Andrew Jackman, Director Navy Employment Conditions at
