News Flash

Unions are asking for a minimum 16% salary increase paid by 30 June 2012

This is in keeping with universities throughout Australia where 16% (uncompounded) or above has been agreed or offered as at 16 November 2009.

16% - Deakin, James Cook, LaTrobe, Griffith, Swinburne, Canberra, UNE(Academic), UQ
16.5% Monash, RMIT
17% - ECU, Sydney, Curtin (General Staff)
18% - QUT, Curtin (Academic), UWS
21% - Ballarat

Current salary offers are as follows:-

12.5% University of South Australia to 30 September 2012
14.25% University of Adelaide to June 2012
14.25% Flinders University to June 2012

Restoration of Employment Rights lost due to HEWRRs and Work Choices

The purpose of this round of bargaining is to re-dress the imbalances caused by HEWRRs and WorkChoices. This effectively means a return to roles for the Unions and rights for staff, as set out under the pre-HEWRRs Agreement. There are no longer any legal, administrative or financial impediments to reinstating these rights and such re-instatements have occurred at all Universities where Agreements/Heads of Agreements or near final Agreements have or are being negotiated. 

Industrial Action

NTEU members at UniSA and Flinders University have placed bans on the recording and transmission of exam results with a committee established so students can apply for exemptions. NTEU members are taking protected industrial action having applied for the bans through the legal processes under the Fair Work Act. There is no doubt that UniSA and Flinders University have started to negotiate more seriously since the bans have been in place. 

CPSU has not applied for a ballot at this stage for members to take protected industrial action. The main issues of contention, but not all, that is making reaching agreement difficult are academic issues. Agreement on salary remains contentious. However, while negotiations are progressing the CPSU continues to bargain in good faith and expects University management to do the same. 

However, there are a number of outstanding clauses on which agreement has not been reached including the wage offer. These 'red flag' items are being debated at each university. Intensified meetings are being held at the three South Australian universities.  South Australian universities cannot seriously claim to aspire to attract and retain quality staff while offering the lowest wages and inferior conditions than other Australian universities. 

Agreements are reached through hard work and co-operative negotiations. The Agreements that have been reached at other universities throughout Australia show that unions and management can work together to deliver significant benefits to staff. The Agreements reached so far will see restoration of employment standards lost when the previous Federal Government legislated for industry specific restrictions on union activity and collective bargaining. 

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 now calls on the three South Australian universities to follow the lead of the other Australian universities and deliver fair and equitable new collective agreements. 

   

26 November 2009