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UNIVERSITIES EB REPORT NO. 3
As
advised in previous briefs Enterprise Bargaining negotiations are
usually held every fortnight. The next EB negotiation meetings will be
on 15 June 2009 for Uni SA and 23 June 2009 for Adelaide University.
To date very little progress has been made. Both sides continue to explore the fundamental principles underlying their positions. Unions want specific clauses and maximum consultation whereas management want maximum flexibility with conditions in HR policies instead of the Enterprise Agreement. No pay offers have been received to date. The last pay rises were 3% at Adelaide University in June 2008 and 2% at University of SA on 1 January 2009. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA At the last EB meeting on 1 June 2009, there was a financial presentation by management. There was also a discussion about the Indigenous Employment Strategy. The unions would like this strategy incorporated within the EA. The CPSU stated that it was a strategy that the University could be proud of, and having it voted into the EA would give all employees a sense of ownership. As previously reported, the University, in their bargaining offer, had asked for: 1.Incremental progression every 2 years instead of annually and 2.Such progression to be subject to a performance appraisal. As most classification levels have six incremental steps, this means that at best it would take an employee 10 years to get to the top increment instead of as at present 5 years. The CPSU asked that if the University was going to appraise performance, could this also be used to accelerate incremental progression. The University responded that they had not considered this but would if the CPSU made such a claim. To make such a claim, the CPSU members would need to agree that incremental progression was subject to performance appraisal. THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE The last EB meeting was held on Tuesday 2/6/2009. After that meeting CPSU was advised by email the following: “Further to my email of 21 April, concerning the cessation of personal bill payments through the University of Adelaide Payroll System, and following significant representation from staff unions about this issue, the University has now agreed to allow payroll deductions for relevant staff unions. This means that current staff deductions to the PSA/CPSU can be maintained post 19 June 2009, should the PSA/CPSU wish. Please advise by return email, by no later than 3 June if you would like deductions to continue to be offered. If so, a personal letter will be sent to the affected staff members asking them to confirm if they would like their deductions to continue after 19 June. Kind regards, Associate Director, HR Client Services Human Resources” The CPSU has advised the University that it wants this to continue for members who previously had PRD's. All unions have been encouraging members to move off PRD's and onto other forms of paying their union subscriptions because of union concerns that during disputation the employer could cut off this facility. The CPSU certainly did not expect this to occur at the University of Adelaide, for no reason apart from computer programs. The CPSU encourages members to move off PRD's and move onto direct debit. For enquiries, please contact Senior PSA Industrial Officer Ian D Peak on (08) 8205 3294 or email ian@cpsu.asn.au or PSA Industrial Officer Margaret Warner on (08)8205 3209 or email mw@cpsu.asn.au
11 June 2009
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