News Flash

Enterprise bargaining in Australia’s universities is almost complete, with only a few new Agreements still outstanding where negotiators are finding it difficult to achieve similar improvements in salary and employment conditions that have successfully been reached at most other universities.

Major Outcomes Achieved in Australian Universities
Most of the salary increases are between 16 – 18% over the life of Agreements, with an average increase of 4.6% pa to 2012.
Restoration of job security and managing change provisions and limits on management prerogative.
Guaranteed Indigenous employment targets.
Improved general/ professional staff classification processes.
Caps on academic and general/ professional staff workloads.
Improved conditions for casual staff, including increasing the casual loading to 25%, separate payment for marking for academic staff, more secure employment opportunities, limits on the use of casual staff.

Report on South Australian Universities
In South Australia the race to be last isn't quite over. South Australian universities usually wait to see what other universities reach agreement on before settling. This round has been no different. CPSU pleased to announce that The University of Adelaide and University of South Australia have agreements that have been lodged for approval by Fair Work Australia. Flinders University unions and management have now agreed on a salary and conditions offer which should be finalised shortly.

Most of the major sticking points have been academic issues and the majority of the time negotiating has revolved around these issues. CPSU has worked alongside of NTEU to reinstate employment conditions that were stripped away by the Howard Government's industrial laws. Protections for fixed term and casual employees have now been agreed to by every university that has finalised a new Enterprise Agreement. CPSU would like to thank the CPSU staff representatives Avonne Newton from University of South Australia and Kevin Knox from Flinders University for their work in representing the interests of General/ Professional staff in the negotiations. CPSU would also like to thank all members who have been supportive throughout this process. Without members support CPSU negotiators would not have been able to have previously stripped away conditions reinstated and have unions written back into the Agreements.

University of Adelaide
The new Enterprise Agreement has been voted on by staff and has been lodged with Fair Work Australia for approval.

After 18 months of negotiations all of the key sticking points including a salary offer of 18% has been made and accepted - this means a further 3% on 30 June 2011, 3% on 30 June 2012 and the final instalment of 4.5% on 31 December 2012 . This is consistent with maintaining GO8 relativities.

Unions will continue to work with management to translate the in-principle agreements into final clauses for the new Collective Agreement.

University of South Australia
The ballot on the University of South Australia Enterprise Agreement 2011 has now concluded and the agreement was accepted by 95.8% of staff who voted.
The new Enterprise Agreement was filed at Fair Work Australia on 10/2/11 for approval of the agreement. The agreement will commence seven (7) days after the date it is approved.

The salary increase is 18.5% by June 2013. This equates to around 4.1% per annum from expiry of the last agreement to expiry of the new one and is a nationally competitive outcome for this round of bargaining. The increases are 4% on 30 June 2011, 4% on 30 June 2012 and 4.5% on 30 June 2013. In addition, Conditions matters have now been agreed.

Document Services staff are now included under the umbrella of the new Enterprise Agreement as are all University of South Australia staff. Document Services staff did receive an additional 1% increase (e.g. 19.5% increase overall) over and above other staff to commence addressing the lower salaries paid in that area.

Many thanks to all members who have been supportive during this process. We are pleased to finally reach an agreement which restores our working conditions and provides a just and fair competitive salary offer.

Flinders University of South Australia
Flinders University has made a salary offer and agreement has now been reached on conditions matters.

The university has revised the salary offer as follows:-

3.0% on 2 July 2011
3.5% on 30 June 2012
4.5% on 29 June 2013

These increases are in addition to the cumulative administrative salary increases already announced and paid by the university since the nominal expiry date of the current agreement (30 June 2008). This 9% increase gives a total schedule of salary increases of twenty percent up to and including the nominal expiry date of the proposed agreement of 30 June 2013.

CPSU still has concerns regarding the wording of  the clause relating to Personal Carer's Leave in place of sick leave. However, at the last bargaining meeting, assurances were given in response to the question asked by CPSU staff representatives that members would not be disadvantaged by this clause.

The unions have now advised the university that they are satisfied with the terms of the final draft Enterprise Agreement. Staff will be provided with a copy of the draft Enterprise Agreement for consideration.

All staff will be asked to cast a vote by ballot. Once the draft Enterprise Agreement is approved by staff it will go before Fair Work Australia for final approval.

2 March 2011