News Flash

Flinders University of South Australia

The tenth meeting of the Formal Negotiating Group was held on Tuesday 13 October.

The university proposed a framework for finalising many of the outstanding issues. Under this approach issues were sorted into two categories for discussion at the meeting: (i) those that could be agreed in principle, with a bit of give and take by the parties; and (ii) those that required further discussion. A third category, those that have obvious financial implications and/or were a consequence of the salary offer on 11 August 2009, were not discussed.

Subsequently the University has provided a document that summarised the framework for finalising issues to assist the unions in making their responses.

Matters that need more discussion include:-

• Dispute settlement

• Reviews, Appeals and Grievance Committees

• Casual Employment (Academic staff)

• Career Progression for General staff

• Annual Recreation Leave (Academic staff)

• Reintroduction of Fixed Term contracts

• Flexibility in Academic Positions

• Academic Workloads

It was agreed at the meeting that meetings of the Academic Working Team and the General Staff Working Team will be scheduled in the next few weeks, followed by a meeting of the Formal Negotiating Group.

Some progress has been made. While negotiations are progressing CPSU has not applied for a ballot for members to take part in industrial action but will continue to work in good faith with all the bargaining parties to achieve the best agreement for general staff as quickly as possible.

Agreements are being reached by other Australian universities and these agreements show that unions and management can work together to deliver significant benefits to staff.

University of South Australia

After many months of meetings the University has proposed a way forward to progress negotiations. A structured bargaining agenda will now be developed and agreed upon.

The University agreed to discuss two items - dispute resolution and industrial relations at the meeting held on 26 October.

It was further agreed at this meeting that the negotiating group would meet every Monday from now to the Christmas break to progress negotiations. This gives us 8 meetings to progress an agreement. Drafting meetings for less contentious issues would also be held to develop clauses and to bring agreed and finalised clauses to the main negotiating group.

Although no agreement was reached on anything, some progress has been made and the meeting was much more productive than anything that has happened so far. Although the university could not guarantee that we would be able to have an Agreement finalised before Christmas the unions will be working towards an agreement as quickly as possible.

University of Adelaide

In order to progress negotiations the University proposed placing a hold on the negotiating meetings and using the time already scheduled for these meetings to have some intensive drafting team meetings.

The drafting team meetings will focus on drafting outstanding clauses and thoroughly reviewing the proposed Enterprise Agreement with a view to preparing an agreed status document for the negotiating group.

Negotiating meetings will recommence once the agreed status document has been finalised.

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

30 October 2009