The employment relationship in Gippsland local government: a concurrent jurisdiction

In the last two decades there has been considerable change in the nature of public sector employment in Australia and other English speaking commonwealth countries. This paper explores these changes in the context of the senior officer employment relationship in Gippsland local government. Two 'ideal employment relations (ER) types'- the 'diarchic' and 'monocrotic'- are conceptualised based on the scope of superordinate power extant in the relationship. The 'diarchic' type is defined as a system where power over managers is divided between his/her employer and superiors. In contrast, within a monocrotic relationship, the superior controls both the human resource domain and the task domain. The findings show that as a result of the implementation of the Victorian Local Government Act 1989 (VLGA89), the diarchic type senior officer employment relationship in Gippsland local government has been replaced by a monocrotic type relationship. However, although senior officer employment is no longer influenced by externalities such as registration boards etc, an informal internal diarchic employment relationship has developed involving the CEO and the councillors. This diarchic relationship has no basis in statute and can be described as an accommodative reality recognising the interpersonal power relationships in local government.