Unique IDAG-0013DescriptionThe Industrial Relations Department was established by a Resolution of Council on 8 February 1971, to change the name of the former Industrial and Personnel Department.
The new department was responsible for recruitment and training of staff, calculation of pays, maintenance of staff records, calculation of long service and termination entitlements, workers compensation matters, and negotiations with unions about disputes including award conditions and rates of pay.
In 1975, the function of preparing the pays for all of Council's employees (based on the record of attendance on the timesheets controlled by the Industrial Relations Department was computerised. Responsibility for the payroll passed completely from the Treasury to Industrial Relations when Council approved the new payroll procedures on 17 June 1975. Computerisation of the payroll (and other activities such as purchasing) with the consequent effect of making staff redundant precipitated a major industrial dispute with the Municipal Employees' Union. Council's staff was reduced by 600 through the computerisation program by 1981.
Staff were paid weekly in cash until the mid 1980s when Council moved to a direct banking system. This was partly due to the robbery of the payroll just before the Christmas break one year.
In 1987, the Industrial Relations Department had responsibility for administering Council's participation in the Community and Youth Employment Schemes. It was also responsible for establishing an Equal Opportunity Employment Program. George McColl was the Director, appointed on 20 March 1984 following the retirement of George Hook.
Three Commissioners were empowered under the City of Sydney Act 1988 to draft organisational structures for the two Councils (Sydney City and South Sydney City) constituted by the Act. The new structures were gazetted in Schedule 3 of the Act on 2 December 1988, to take effect from 1 January 1989.
It was decided to abolish the Industrial Relations Department and establish a Human Resources Department. Originally it was intended that the new department would form a group of small departments under a general manager in a new Corporate Services Division. Subsequently the Human Resources Department was removed from the Corporate Services Division and constituted as a department in its own right, renamed Personnel.
SOURCES
City of Sydney Annual Report 1983
Minutes of Council 1971 and 1975
CRS 34, Town Clerk's Correspondence Files, 1914-1978: TC 4206/70, 4208/70, 533/75, 1485/75, 2337/75, 5245/30CreationResolution of Council 8 February 1971AbolitionSchedule 3 of the City of Sydney Act 1988, proclaimed 2 December 1988
Start date8th February 1971End date31st December 1988Relationship legacy dataPRECEDED BY: Industrial and Personnel Department AG-0090 (08/02/1971)
PRECEDED BY: City Treasury Department I AG-0012 (17/06/1975) - Payment of wages moved from Treasury.
PRECEDED BY: South Sydney Municipal Council Deputy Town Clerks Department AG-0020 (01/01/1982)
RELATED TO: Sydney City Council OR-0001 (08/02/1971 to 31/12/1988)
RELATED TO: Council administration FN-0026 (08/02/1971 to 31/12/1988) Source System ID13
