Members’ bargaining report 22
19 October 2010
UNSW professional staff vote yes for new and improved agreement A clear majority (60.5%) of professional staff have approved University of New South Wales (Professional Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2010. The Agreement has been lodged in Fair Work Australia (FWA) for approval. We hope this will occur soon. When FWA approves the Agreement, the University can process the payment of your $1000 sign on bonus, which will make a nice Christmas bonus. Many of you will also be able to access some of the other great conditions negotiated by the CPSU, like paid grandparent leave and 36 weeks paid parental leave. Furthermore, unless you have accumulated six weeks or more annual leave you cannot be directed to take annul leave during the Christmas shutdown. The overwhelming yes vote is a clear vindication of the CPSU bargaining strategy at UNSW. It shows that professional staff have confidence in the Union that is completely dedicated to the best interests of professional staff and the outcomes we have achieved for professional staff. Andrew Holland, Senior Industrial Officer said, “we made a commitment to understand the wants and needs of our members and then bargain and campaign hard around these. We have achieved a great outcome, not by imposing ideas from above but by running a proper member-driven bargaining agenda.” Deborah Encel, CPSU UNSW President said, “staff are interested and well-informed enough to recognise that this Agreement delivers excellent conditions, some of them now the best in the sector, despite the amount of negative, misguided information that was propagated about it.”
Are you part of the team working to improve your workplace? The CPSU is the Union that stands up for your rights at work, we are also the union that can achieve real and meaningful improvements for professional staff. If you are not already a member why not use some of your pay increase to join the CPSU and help us continue to achieve better pay and conditions and ensure that professional staff are respected as the backbone of the University.
If you are not a member contact your local CPSU delegate or Ian Lisser on 0408 213 339 or click on the link below
Click to join the CPSU today
You can thank the CPSU for: 1.
19.5% cumulative salary increase
17. improved defence force leave
2.
$1000 sign on bonus
18. an agreement free from references to gender
3.
two weeks paid grandparent leave - the first in the country
(other than for one clause)
19. two days paid university holidays entrenched in the agreement
4.
26 weeks paid maternity leave and adoption leave from the first day of employment
5.
36 weeks paid maternity leave and adoption leave from 5 years of service
6.
paid maternity & adoption leave can be shared between parents where both parents work at UNSW
7.
8. 9.
UNSW remains one of the few employers that has paid parental leave for casual and fixed term employees improved definition of immediate family for leave purposes
20. the ability to accumulate 6 weeks of annual leave. Once you reach a balance of 6 weeks or more, the University may direct you to take annual leave to reduce your balance to no less than 3 weeks
21. you can accumulate up to 8 weeks in special circumstances as long as you take your annual leave within 6 months, and at the end of the six month period you have a balance of not more than 2 weeks
22. Christmas shutdown limited to three days 23. you can only be directed to take annual leave for the Christmas shutdown if you have 6 weeks or more accumulated at the time. if you have less than 6 weeks of annul leave accumulated you can use flex, TOIL, leave without pay, annual leave, or any combination to cover the period
better long service leave provisions
10. increases to allowances over the life of the agreement
11. union delegates get paid time to undertake
24. protections for fixed term employment, including conversion for fixed term staff
union duties
12. 20 days trade union leave per year for CPSU delegates
25. workload monitoring clause 26.
13. direct CPSU involvement in dispute resolution, job evaluation, change management and consultation on policies
14. increases to superannuation for fixed term staff and casuals
15. the first domestic violence leave clause in Australia
16. 12 days of carer’s leave will now be available from the second year of service
the right to refuse overtime
27. 25% casual loading 28. Overtime for part time staff, up to an equivalent full time employee, will attract a loading in lieu of annual leave, of 8.33%
29. access to flex time during a work unit’s core hours, to attend lectures & exams
30. the right to extend compassionate leave by an additional 20 days
Click to join the CPSU today Authorised by John Cahill, State Branch Secretary of the CPSU, the Community and Public Sector Union (SPSF Group NSW Branch), 160 Clarence St, Sydney, NSW, 2001