THE PROMOTION APPEALS SYSTEM ADMINISTERED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND RELATED EMPLOYEES APPEAL TRIBUNAL: A PUBLIC SERVICE RIGHT OR A COSTLY ANACHRONISM?*

Abstract: This paper is based upon the experience of the New South Wales Department of Lands with the Government and Related Employees Appeal Tribunal (GREAT), a body established in New South Wales in 1981 to hear promotion appeals from employees of the public sector. Serious doubts are expressed as to the value of the promotion appeals system and questions asked about its contribution to efficiency. Statistics show not only a substantial commitment of resources by the Department to the maintenance of selection decisions, but suggest a very large overall financial commitment by the state if the costs are representative of other departments and authorities. Proposed changes and possible reforms are reviewed and evaluated. Although confined to a study of a single system, the conclusions have relevance to the promotion appeals systems of all Australian public sectors because of the many common features which they share.