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Flinders University of South Australia CPSU Branch

SA Universities Enterprise Bargaining Update 19

SA Universities Enterprise Bargaining Update 19

July 30, 2010

Flinders University of South Australia

Steady progress has occurred in concluding outstanding issues in Collective Bargaining.

Matters currently under discussion include:

  • implementing the new regime for casual academic staff to be paid separately for work undertaken out of class time
  • amending the Disputes clause to allow unions to notify a dispute in their own right
  • finalising the Reviews, Appeals and Grievance Committee clause


University of South Australia

Enterprise Bargaining has taken far too long. It is now 18 months since the nominal expiry date of the 2006 Collective Agreement. CPSU negotiators have now been negotiating for over 15 months and 36 enterprise bargaining meetings with university management with almost no progress being made.

Most of the sticking points in the negotiations are over academic issues.

CPSU has not put in for a ballot to take protected industrial action.

CPSU is confident that we can reach a negotiated agreement on professional staff issues but reserve our right to take a ballot for industrial action should agreement not be reached on professional staff issues.  Still in contention is the pay offer put out by the university, restoration of union rights and the length of time it is taking to reach agreement.

22 universities around Australia have now reached agreements with pay offers of 16% and above, expiry dates of 30/6/12 and the restoration of rights lost in the Howard HEWRRs imposed clauses in the 2006 agreement. It is a fundamental objective of CPSU bargaining strategy to restore the union's role in clauses in the collective agreement and CPSU will not accept lesser pay and conditions for members.

University of Adelaide

Last meeting was held on Friday 23/7. Clauses discussed were:

  •  ATSI employment
  •  Unsatisfactory Performance
  •  Academic Workloads
  •  Marking for Casual Academics
  •  Salary
  •  HECE restoration

Progress was made at this meeting however the unions stressed the need to have more intensive bargaining meetings if the university is serious about reaching an agreement. Management agreed to get back to the union bargaining team with a schedule of meetings regarding two full days of bargaining over the next few weeks.

Please do not hesitate to contact CPSU Industrial Officer, Margaret Warner on 8205 3209. Your comments and views are greatly appreciated as we strive to get an agreement that will deliver on a just and fair pay increase and restoring union rights and quality conditions for general/professional staff.

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

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AUTHORISED BY JAN MCMAHON, GENERAL SECRETARY

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