Enterprise bargaining - what information is provided to department about employees' votes?
Dear Department of Agriculture and Water Resources,
This is request for information under the Freedom of Information Act.
I request all documents wherein the outcome of any enterprise bargaining ballots were communicated to the department by the entity who undertook the ballots.
This shall include the YES/NO vote amounts or percentages as well as any additional information related to the vote. For example, a breakdown of the vote by employee location, or APS level.
The scope of this request covers any such documents that were received as a result of EBA offers made to staff under:
Workplace Bargaining Policy 2015
or
Australian Government Public Sector Workplace Bargaining Policy 2014
I thank you in advance for processing this request.
Yours faithfully,
James Smith
Dear Mr Smith
The department acknowledges receipt of your FOI request below. Our
reference number is FOI2016/17-55.
We will contact you further once we have advice from our business area.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely
Stuart Plowman
Government Lawyer | Office of the General Counsel |
Freedom of Information and Privacy Section |
Phone +61 2 6272 5051 |
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
18 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
Dear Mr Smith
Please find attached a letter regarding your FOI request.
Regards
Melissa Nickols
FOI Officer
Office of the General Counsel | Freedom of Information and Privacy Section
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
Phone +61 2 6272 3537
Dear Department of Agriculture and Water Resources,
This is request for information under the Freedom of Information Act.
I request all documents wherein the outcome of any enterprise bargaining ballots were communicated to the department by the entity who undertook the ballots.
This shall include the YES/NO vote amounts or percentages as well as any additional information related to the vote. For example, a breakdown of the vote by employee location, or APS level.
The scope of this request covers any such documents that were received as a result of EBA offers made to staff under:
Workplace Bargaining Policy 2015
or
Australian Government Public Sector Workplace Bargaining Policy 2014
I thank you in advance for processing this request.
Yours faithfully,
James Smith
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[FOI #3152 email]
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Dear Ms Nickols,
Thank you for your reply.
I kindly ask the department reconsider waiving charges here and if the department is prepared to do so, I am happy to limit the scope of the request.
In the reply to my other FOI, you indicated the department provides the ballot company with:
• Location
• Substantive Classification
• Employment Type
In addition to various other employee-related data.
I would like to see any tables of breakdowns of the vote as provided to the department by the ballot provider, for the most recent ballot only.
I'm only after the breakdowns, if any are supplied; I do not need to see any other parts of the documents.
As an example, please refer to the tables in the following response provided by another agency:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/3...
Kind regards
James Smith
Yours sincerely,
James Smith
Dear Mr Smith
If you wish the department to consider reduction or waiver of the estimated charge, please provide relevant reasons as outlined in the charges letter under the heading 'Seeking reduction or non-imposition of the charge'.
If you wish to change the scope of your request to the most recent ballot breakdowns only, please lodge a new request with the department.
Regards
Melissa Nickols
FOI Officer
Office of the General Counsel | Freedom of Information and Privacy Section Department of Agriculture and Water Resources Phone +61 2 6272 3537
Dear Ms Nickols,
Thank you for your email.
Let's keep this current request with the original scope.
I seek non-imposition of the charge because I have no income and therefore no ability to pay. I also argue that the information is in the broader public interest, given recent media attention to the issue of how government has handled data relating to significant numbers of public servants.
Yours sincerely,
James Smith
Dear Mr Smith
As outlined by my colleague in her previous correspondence, in order for hardship to be established, we would require evidence to support your request for the waiver. I have provided the link to Part 4 the Freedom of Information Guidelines as prepared by the Australian Information Commissioner to provide more information on what is required. It will also provide guidance on what is required for a public interest waiver.
https://www.oaic.gov.au/freedom-of-infor...
If we don't hear from you within one week we will proceed to make a decision on the information you have already provided below. Please note that there is 30 days from when you make a charges contention for the decision maker to make a decision on your waiver application.
Sarelle Woodward
Senior Government Lawyer | Freedom of Information and Privacy Team, Office of the General Counsel
Phone +61 2 6272 5671 | [Department of Agriculture and Water Resources request email]
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources www.agriculture.gov.au
18 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601 Australia GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete this email.
Dear Mr Smith
Please find attached correspondence about your FOI request.
Regards
Melissa Nickols
FOI Officer | Freedom of Information and Privacy Team, Office of the General Counsel
Phone +61 2 6272 3537 | Email [Department of Agriculture and Water Resources request email]
Department of Agriculture and Water Resources www.agriculture.gov.au
18 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT 2601 Australia GPO Box 858 Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
This email and any attachments may contain information subject to legal professional privilege or information that is otherwise sensitive or confidential. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you are prohibited from using or disseminating this communication. If you have received this communication in error please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete this email.