New way for officer pay
Volume 11, No. 54, October 19, 2006

OCTOBER 19 signals the end of the common pay scale for officers and WO1s and the introduction of the new graded officers’ pay structure (GOPS) and a graded pay structure for WO1s.

Although all officers and WO1s will be placed into the new salary structure from October 19, they will see no difference to the amount they are currently paid.

“The real difference is the structure that sits behind their salary placement,” the SO1 Industrial Relations with the Directorate of Personnel Capability-Army, Lt-Col Lionel Haynes said.

The change is being driven by Phase 3 of the Remuneration Reform Project (RRP). Under Phase 3, officers and WO1s who were receiving one of the four qualification and skill allowances (flying, special operations, special action forces and submarine allowances) will have that allowance rolled into their base salary. Members who are receiving one of the four allowances under a sunset clause will lose their entitlement to the allowance at the expiration of that sunset period.

“The new pay system is aimed at creating more contemporary and flexible pay structures for ADF members,” Lt-Col Haynes said.

In future ADF members will be paid according to how their work contributes to ADF capability. The Chief of Army may now recommend to the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal (DFRT) a pay change for particular employment categories.

“While the 19 October transition to the GOPS will see no change in pay for individuals, ongoing work to complete RRP Phase 3 will result in all officer employment categories being placed on the new scale by the DFRT on the basis of their assessed work value to Defence,” Lt-Col Haynes said.

“To move any category to a new pay grade, the ADF must conduct a full work value assessment, analyse the category against existing benchmarks, and submit its case to the DFRT. The DFRT will assess the case and determine the pay grade for that category.”

Air Force Air Traffic Controllers were the first employment category to be reviewed under the new structure, although the DFRT had not handed down its decision by publication time. Navy and Army engineers, and ADF aerospace engineers are scheduled to be reviewed by the DFRT in late November.

The next phase of the RRP, Phase 4, will develop and implement a sustainable pay structure for soldiers.

If you detect any pay discrepancies you should notify your relevant administration area (orderly room, shopfront) as soon as practicable.

For more details visit http://intranet.defence.gov.au/pac/ or http://defence.gov.au/dpe/pac/ and click on the Remuneration Reform Project link.