News Flash

University of Adelaide

The CPSU considers that the University of Adelaide are genuinely negotiating to reach agreement with the unions for the next Enterprise Agreement. However, there remains issues that need to be resolved.

To expedite the negotiations there have been more extensive sessions being held. An all day negotiating meeting was held on Tuesday 29 September with key items affecting both academic and professional staff being discussed. Of central concern is the inclusion of policies, rights and conditions lost because of the HEWRRs (restrictions imposed by the previous Federal Government). Key issues included serious misconduct, superannuation professional staff reclassification, senior staff contracts, separating PDR (Planning, Development and Review) from performance management, conditions for contract research staff and English language teachers, and intellectual freedom.

At the subsequent session planned for 9 am Wednesday 30 September the unions were asked to accept a less attractive version without further debate.

Unions and University management appeared before Senior Deputy President O'Callaghan at Fair Work Australia for a Conference in Chambers on the afternoon of 30 September 2009. The Unions contended that the negotiations to this point have been productive. The Commissioner declined to act immediately on the dispute lodged by senior management of the university, apart from allowing it to lie on the table for the next three weeks.

Negotiations with the university management will continue with intense drafting sessions being held between meetings. It is hoped that the offer by the university management for both conditions and salary matters will be improved.

University of South Australia

As reported earlier, university management cancelled the negotiation meeting which was scheduled for Monday 21 September in response to the industrial bans and strike action The unions pointed out that the university was not negotiating in good faith as is required under s228 of the Fair Work Act 2009. Attending and participating at meetings at a reasonable time is the prime requirement. Management responded that they were aware of the requirements of the Act. However, it appears to the unions as contradictory to refuse to attend a scheduled meeting with no future date for any subsequent meetings. The unions responded by inviting university management to attend a meeting on 28 September. At the meeting discussions revolved around ideological and philosophical issues with the university asserting that they were not prepared to participate in negotiations while industrial action was being carried out or while the NTEU would not agree to suspending industrial action indefinitely. The unions pointed out that the industrial action was protected industrial action in accordance with the Fair Work Act. The CPSU has concerns regarding the bargaining process and have consistently asked for minutes of the meetings o be made available. Minutes were always available during negotiations for previous Enterprise Agreements, and the two other South Australian Universities continue to provide minutes.

Flinders University of South Australia

Flinders University has a meeting scheduled for Tuesday 13 October. Meetings are positive and a further report will be sent to Flinders University staff at the conclusion of that meeting.

University of New England

The Public Service Association NSW has welcomed the first NSW University Agreement for this round to be officially voted on by staff, saying it has set the standard for the sector.

Reporting that University of New England staff had approved a new agreement to cover General Staff and English Language Centre Teachers, the PSA of NSW said they voted “overwhelmingly” in favour of the new conditions.

“The Agreement gives a 17 per cent compounded pay increase over three years and returns to staff conditions that were stripped out under the WorkChoices laws,”

Edith Cowan University Agreement reached

The following Union Collective Agreement will be recommended to members at Edith Cowan University that will provide the following:-

• A 17% pay rise (18.3% compounded) by June 2012

• Improved rights and pay for casuals

• Improved superannuation benefits for casual and fixed-term staff

• Improved employment opportunities for members of the Indigenous community

• Improved conditions for contract research staff

• Improved job security by restrictions on the use of fixed-term contracts

• Strengthened reclassification procedures for general staff

• Restoration of union rights

  Unions and management at the above two Universities have worked together to deliver significant benefits to staff.
  
  The agreements will see restoration of employment standards lost in 2005 when the previous Federal Government legislated for industry specific restrictions on union activity and collective bargaining.
  
  These two agreements demonstrate that unions can work together with University Managements to deliver good outcomes for both the University staff and students
  CPSU members are concerned about preserving high quality educational outcomes for students and this can only be achieved by university staff having fair and equitable pay and working conditions.
  
  CPSU calls on the three South Australian universities to follow suit and deliver fair and equitable new collective agreements at those institutions.

  
  

10 October 2009