UNE Members' Bargaining Report 6
UNE Members' Bargaining Report 6
Last General Staff bargaining for 2008
The last General Staff bargaining for 2008 was held on the 15 and 16 December. The CPSU has achieved in principle agreement on a number of areas from our log of claims. The final decision on the content of clauses will be made by CPSU members.
What has the CPSU achieved so far?
Below is a summary of the key improvements that the CPSU bargaining team has negotiated so far.
Workload protection
For the first time there will be clear workload protections for General Staff. Workloads must be manageable and without risk to health and safety. Supervisors will be responsible for ensuring that unreasonable expectations are not put on you to work excessive hours. You will also be able to dispute your workload level.
Annual Leave
We have protected your 5 weeks annual leave (6 weeks for shift workers) and removed the prohibition on taking leave prior to retirement or resignation.
We have also gained back a number of entitlements that were lost when you went to a single agreement. This includes that supervisors must ensure you can take your leave and that you can accumulate 50 days leave, unless you agree to another arrangement with your supervisor.
Overtime
We have won the right for you to reasonably refuse overtime. However, the University has not yet agreed to our number one overtime claim – that TOIL (time off in lieu of paid overtime) accrue at overtime rates.
Fairness and economics support our claim. The UNE is the only University in NSW not to accrue TOIL at overtime rates. This is a disincentive against accruing TOIL, although many members prefer to take TOIL. Finally, it is cheaper for the University to provide an incentive to take TOIL as the payment of overtime incurs a 8.79% on costs whilst TOIL doesn’t.
Increments
We have reclaimed entitlements lost under the single agreement including the right to dispute an adverse increment report and the retrospective payment of an increment if your increment was incorrectly withheld.
The CPSU has also ensured that staff must be informed of all concerns about their performance and be given an opportunity to improve performance. You will also have the right to dispute adverse reports.
Probation
The CPSU has ensured that staff on probation will receive regular feedback; will be informed in writing of performance issues as soon as they arise; will be given an opportunity to respond to any concerns about performance and will be given a reasonable opportunity and support to improve their performance.
OH&S
Agreement has been reached on a new OH&S clause that reclaims the provisions lost in the current agreement. The clause achieves part of a CPSU claim to ensure first aid officer allowances are increased in line with the pay increases achieved in the agreement.
Classification
For the first time there will be a detailed classification clause in the agreement that will ensure: a fair classification process for general staff; that the general staff descriptors are used to classify positions; incumbents can request the revaluation of their position; that General staff can dispute the outcomes of a reclassification process and that you cannot be disadvantaged if your position is either regraded up or down.
The CPSU has also told the University that members want to ensure that the position statements contain the totality of duties required of an employee and that you want to ensure that your position statements cannot be unilaterally changed.
What hasn’t been agreed to yet?
Your Pay increase, Workplace Change, Unsatisfactory Performance and Misconduct, Family and Community Leave, Parental Leave and Long Service Leave, Sick Leave.
These will all be discussed when we recommence bargaining in 2009.
Where is a pay increase?
You will recall that in our member update number 4 we raised the question about a pay increase before Christmas. Unfortunately the cancellation of three General Staff bargaining meetings (see update 5) has meant that there will be no pay increase before Christmas. This is disappointing as you have not had a pay increase since June 2008.
Where to in 2009?
In accordance with the wishes of members, the CPSU bargaining strategy is about reaching favorable outcomes for general staff as quickly as possible. That is why the parties have agreed to hold general staff bargaining meeting for two days every fortnight. Whilst this has meant a heavy workload for all concerned we believe this is in the best interest of General Staff.
Unfortunately this meeting schedule may change in 2009 because the NTEU seek to reduce the number of days we bargain for general staff to only two days per month as they are unable to commit the resources required to continue with our agreed bargaining schedule.
The CPSU has proposed an alternative arrangement which would see the parties bargaining three days per month, instead of the original four, but meet for longer each day in order for us to achieve the best outcome for our members without unnecessarily delaying or dragging out EB negotiations.
Congratulations Judy Stott
As members will be aware Judy Stott has been elected a delegate to the Unions’ Central Council. This is the supreme governing body of the union where important decisions about the future of your union are made. Judy will be a strong advocate for UNE members and General Staff across the state and has already proved to be an effective and active member of the Unions’ Women’s Council.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Finally, your CPSU campaign team and bargaining team wish all members a safe and happy holiday. We look forward to a 2009 of continued gains in bargaining and greater recognition that you are truly the backbone of the University.
CPSU & GENERAL STAFF –STRONGER TOGETHER