Kangan Batman TAFE outsources printing service to save taxpayer $
17 February 2005
The NTEU has issued a media release and organised a rally in support of the four staff affected by Kangan Batman TAFE's decision to outsource its printing service. The following is the Institute's response.
Kangan Batman TAFE's decision to outsource its printing service will provide significant cost savings and efficiencies for the Institute and allow it to secure its extensive intellectual property.
An organisation has been selected as preferred tenderer to provide an integrated print production and storage service for the Institute. This selection has been the culmination of a carefully-considered process. The process began in late 2002 with the commissioning of an independent study to examine Kangan Batman TAFE's existing printing processes and technology. A second independent consultant conducted a further analysis of the situation in July 2004 and confirmed the findings of the original study.
Both experts recommended that Kangan Batman TAFE take an improved and coordinated approach to managing the design, production and storage of its printed material by placing the whole process under the leadership of a commercial print professional.
Why the need for change?
Kangan Batman TAFE's growth since its formative 1997 amalgamation (of the Kangan and John Batman TAFE institutes) has magnified the need for a coordinated printing approach to address the following problems:
- There is currently too much printing equipment spread across the Institute's campuses.
- Much of the equipment is old.
- Much of the equipment is outdated, including that used in the existing inhouse printing/photocopying service (the Printroom).
- The high cost of the current ad hoc printing approach.
Following a two-stage tender process, which was managed by independent consultants, a preferred tenderer has now been selected to provide Kangan Batman TAFE's printing service. The benefits to the Institute are expected to be cost savings and greater efficiencies.
How will this affect staff?
The four staff working in the existing Printroom at the Broadmeadows campus will be affected by the outsourcing.
Throughout the outsourcing process, Kangan Batman TAFE management has discussed the plans with the affected staff and consulted with the NTEU to minimise the impact on those staff. The Institute has also complied with all government employment policies, and relevant award/enterprise agreement requirements.
Staff were also given the opportunity to tender to offer the print services.
Kangan Batman TAFE Director Ray Griffiths has always assured staff that no one would lose their job as a result of the change. It has always been a requirement that the successful tenderer would employ the Printroom staff, with entitlements no less favourable than their current award and certified agreement conditions.
Final contract negotiations are currently taking place with the preferred tenderer and once this is finalised an offer of employment will be made to the four Printroom staff. They will then have four weeks to decide if they wish to accept the offer. If they decline, they will be redeployed to another area of Kangan Batman TAFE.
According to Acting Director Shirley Kukk, the best interests of the affected staff have been a high priority throughout the outsourcing process.
"The Printroom staff have always provided a great service, however, Kangan Batman TAFE has grown to a level where we need a larger scale printing service with high-end technology. The Institute could not afford to purchase this technology ourselves, thus the need to work with an external company", Ms Kukk said.
"We hope the Printroom staff will choose to work for the preferred tenderer, as then they will still be based onsite at the Broadmeadows campus and will provide a familiar, friendly face to the new service."
"We believe their careers in the printing industry will also benefit from the change, as they will be working for a leading global printing company."
