News Flash

FLINDERS UNIVERSITY

Some progress was made at the Enterprise Bargaining meeting held on 23/2/10.

An interim administrative pay increase of 3.4% has now been made by the University.  However, Flinders University still remains amongst the lowest paying universities in this country. 

The University indicated that the salary increase in the Enterprise Agreement would be the last item they would be prepared to negotiate. This will incorporate the 3.4% already received.

Reclassification
The Career Progression for General Staff Package was presented by the University.  Linked positions is part of the package and it is now possible for linked positions to be available for new and existing positions.  Linking is at the discretion of your Supervisor.

It was originally proposed by the University that a reclassification application required the approval of your supervisor in order for it to be lodged.  This restriction has now been lifted though it is the view of CPSU that this should never ever have been a requirement.  Managers/Supervisors should see to it as a personal requirement that employees are classified and remunerated appropriately.  Therefore a personal reclassification should only happen if an employee believes that this has not been done.  The current proposal regarding the Review process is not satisfactory to CPSU and CPSU will not agree to any reclassification process that restricts the Review process.  The right of a Review process exists in all other university agreements reached to date and exists in the current Flinders University Collective Workplace Agreement. 

Some progress was made on academic issues that have previously been contentious. In particular the University has agreed in principle for separate payment for marking by casual academic staff.

There are still some critical matters to be resolved including restoration of ALL pre-HEWRR staff rights prior to the Agreement being finalised.  

All parties agreed that it was important to finalise negotiations.  As a result, a draft Agreement will form the basis for the next negotiating meeting scheduled for late March.

UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
Meetings have been held which have been conducted in a generally positive and constructive manner.  While progress has been made in resolving some outstanding clauses there are still a significant number of matters that are not close to resolution. 

Senior Staff contracts (Individual contracts outside of the Collective Agreement)

The management proposal to extend Senior Staff Contracts down to Heads of Schools and Branch Heads was extensively discussed and remains an area of significant disagreement, though the discussion did clarify the respective points of difference between each side, notably the philosophical and industrial issues as to whether Heads of School are simply line managers.

CPSU, in line with other Unions, remain philosophically opposed to individual contracts. The current University of Adelaide Collective Agreement has Professional Classifications levels up to HEO 10 and Senior Management levels salaries contained in the Collective Agreement are transparent. Agreements in individual contracts are not.

Disputes/Reviews and Staff complaints
There was a useful combined discussion on Disputes/Reviews and Staff Complaints and there is now agreement in principle (subject to drafting) to retain Review Committees separately for matters such as promotion/reclassification, unsatisfactory performance/misconduct, staff complaints, redundancy and redeployment.  This disputes clause requires further negotiation. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Employment
After considerable discussion we appear to be closer to agreement on a strategy for increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment and on the establishment of a monitoring committee.

Performance Development Review (PDR)
A considerable amount of time was spent on this topic.  Unions are strongly opposed to linking PDR with unsatisfactory performance.  Considerable progress was made and our respective positions were clarified.  We believe we are close to agreement about removing management's proposed link between PDR and unsatisfactory performance.  It is the union's strong belief that PDR should be a positive process identifying aspirations of staff in their employment and where further training and development could compliment and advance their contribution to the university.  PDR should not be linked to any punitive process.

Workloads
The University submitted a draft clause.  Very little of the content reflected how a fair level and distribution of workload would be dealt with for Professional staff and further work is needed to agree to wording that will give Professional staff a clause that would effectively deal with workload allocation and a Review process. 

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Proposed meeting dates have been distributed.  CPSU and NTEU have advised that the proposed dates are acceptable for the union teams. 

An administrative increase of 2% has been announced by the University effective from 20 February. 
CPSU and NTEU confirmed 'in principle' decisions reached at the bargaining meetings will be accepted (provided a 75% attendance rate from either party is achieved). 

Staff Development and Performance Management
This clause is not agreed and has been “parked” until the end of the bargaining process when the guidelines will be finalised. 

Dispute Resolution
In principle agreement has been reached.

Workload

Considerable discussion regarding Academic Workload clause took place.

There is no commitment from any of the three South Australian universities to finalise agreements within a certain time frame.  However, as universities throughout Australia are reaching agreement which have seen pay rises in excess of what is being offered in South Australia and agreement reached on restoration of pre HEWRR conditions it is hoped that agreements will be reached shortly.  The time has long since passed for ideological and philosophical discussions and CPSU calls on the three South Australian universities to restore basic fundamental rights to university members and deliver fair and equitable new collective agreements in line with other university agreements throughout Australia. 

CPSU THE UNION NEGOTIATING ON BEHALF OF PROFESSIONAL/GENERAL STAFF IN UNIVERSITIES