<p> DWG Negotiation Letter HSW-PR08-TM04</p><p>Designated Work Groups To: <Work Area Affected> From: <Insert Health and Safety Committee Chairperson> Date: June 2, 2018 Subject: RMIT Designated Work Group [Negotiations or Renegotiations]</p><p>Purpose</p><p>To [negotiate/renegotiate] Designated Work Groups (DWGs) for [Insert work area].</p><p>Background</p><p>The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (the Act) includes provisions for the establishment and renegotiation of DWGs within the Organisation and a particular work area. DWGs are negotiated or renegotiated between the employer and the employees.</p><p>Renegotiating DWGs is appropriate when changes in the organisation make it difficult for HSRs to represent employees effectively under the current DWG structure. Changes may include:</p><p>Alterations to organisational structure or reporting lines; </p><p>Employee numbers;</p><p>Nature of work being carried out;</p><p>Environment;</p><p>Location;</p><p>Hazards in the workplace; </p><p>Hours worked;</p><p>Languages spoken by employees.</p><p>The OHS Act 2004 s 44(1) directs that only the following particulars may be negotiated in relation to a DWG:</p><p>Prepared by: </p><p>Health, Safety & Wellbeing Printed copies are considered uncontrolled</p><p>Rev: 1.0</p><p>Page: Page 1 of 3 The manner of grouping employees into DWGs that best and most conveniently:</p><p>1. Allows their occupational health and safety-related interests to be represented and safeguarded;</p><p>2. Takes into account the need for a HSR for the DWG(s) to be accessible to each member of the DWG;</p><p>The number (at least one) of HSRs in each DWG;</p><p>The number of Deputy HSRs (DHSRs) (if any) in each DWG;</p><p>The term of office (not exceeding 3 years) of each HSR and DHSR (if any);</p><p>Whether the HSR/s for the DWG/s are authorised also to represent independent contractors, or a class of independent contractors, engaged by the employer, and any employees of such independent contractors, who work at the DWG’s workplace.</p><p>Some factors to consider in negotiating a DWG structure are:</p><p>Reporting lines of staff – HSRs who represent staff from more than one reporting line may face complexities in communicating with and influencing management.</p><p>Campus and building location.</p><p>Number of employees – if there are a high number of staff in one DWG it might be difficult for one HSR to represent them.</p><p>The nature of work and the hazards present – if these are too various in one DWG it may be difficult for one HSR to understand all the OHS issues facing staff.</p><p>Detail</p><p>[Insert reason for negotiation/renegotiation of DWGs]</p><p>The proposed structure for the DWGs within [insert work area] is:</p><p>[Insert the proposed details of DWG including; no. of DWG, staff area/location of each DWG; no. of HSRs and DHSRs for each DWG and term of office for each HSR and DHSR.]</p><p>Action</p><p>Consider the proposed structure for the DWGs and provide feedback to the nominated employer representative [insert name employer representative and contact details] by close of business [insert date].</p><p>[Insert Health & Safety Committee Chairperson Signature] DWG Negotiation Letter HSW-PR08-TM04</p><p>Prepared by: </p><p>Health, Safety & Wellbeing Printed copies are considered uncontrolled</p><p>Rev: 1.0</p><p>Page: Page 3 of 3</p>