UNE Members' Bargaining Report 4
UNE Members' Bargaining Report 4
Stronger together
Your CPSU team has developed protocols, which NTEU have been happy to support, as a framework for the unions to work together in solidarity to achieve the best outcome for General Staff at UNE.
The protocols include the ability to submit clauses jointly to management where the two unions can agree, as well as a professional process to follow where academic and general staff working conditions do not allow the unions to submit a joint clause.
This has been working with some success over the past two months with NTEU providing some input on, and supporting a number of, clauses that CPSU have written and which support the CPSU log of claims.
This is a positive step and shows that solidarity is not necessarily dependant on having a single agreement to cover all staff.
General Staff Classification
The UNE classification officers recently addressed the bargaining team about the CPSU claim. It was an excellent opportunity to gain an insight into how the current classification process works.
The classification officers believe there are no problems with the current system of classifying General Staff positions.
The CPSU pressed the point that there is no formal ability for General Staff to have a classification outcome reviewed and there is no ability for General Staff to request a reclassification of their position.
Remember our key claims are (tick the claims you support)
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Clear, transparent and enforceable provisions in the agreement, |
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Ensure there is an effective and transparent evaluation process with a preference for a classification committee, |
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Ensure there is a right to review classification outcomes, |
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Ensure that individuals can request reclassification of their position, |
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Ensure clear timeframes are adhered to, and |
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Ensure that re classification cannot lead to a position downgrade. |
We want to know what you think about our classification claim. Soon you may be contacted by a member of our campaign team and asked your opinion about General Staff classification at UNE.
Wouldn’t it be nice to get a pay increase before Christmas?
The current agreement expired on 30 June 2008 and you have not had a pay increase since then. The CPSU campaign strategy is to finalise bargaining as quickly as possible whilst delivering the best outcomes possible for General Staff.
At our last meeting the unions pressed the University about the projected time line for finalisation of bargaining. There was no clear response.
We call on the University to respond positively to all the CPSU claims with a view to finalising bargaining as quickly and as positively as possible.
How are we going with our other claims?
| CPSU claim | Has UNE agreed? |
| Overtime | |
| Right to reasonably refuse overtime No ban on paid overtime for HEO 8 & above Better overtime payment for part-time staff Casuals to be paid overtime before 10 hours work TOIL accrued at overtime rates |
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| Workloads |
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| Workload protections for General Staff Identify excessive workloads as an OH&S issue Workload to be aligned to ordinary hours of work & PD Workload review |
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| Incremental Progression |
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| Staff can respond to adverse reports Staff must be given an opportunity to impove performance Right to dispute adverse increment report (lost under single agreement) Retrospective increment if increment incorrectly withheld (lost under single agreement) |
Not yet Not yet Not yet Not yet |
| Family and Community leave |
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| Improve so that it's not limited to unexpected family/carer responsibilities Paid grandparent leave Pool relevant forms of leave at 15 days cumulative per year Broaden the definition of family |
Not yet Not yet Not yet Not yet |
| Annual leave |
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| Maintain 5 weeks annual leave (6 weeks for shift workers) Accrual of extra leave if you work a lot of overtime Mutual agreement when taking leave (lost under single agreement) Remove prohibition on taking leave prior to retirement or resignation Supervisors must ensure employees can take leave (lost under single agreement) Accumulate 50 days leave, unless otherwise agreed (lost under single agreement) |
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Where to from here?
| 1. | The CPSU is confident there will be significant movement from the University on our claims for incremental progression, overtime and family and community leave. |
| 2. | The University will respond to our claims for managing change, family and community leave, probation, classification and parental leave before 20 November. |
| 3. | The next General Staff bargaining meeting is on 25 & 26 November. |
| 4. | The CPSU would like to see an agreement finalised no later than early next year. Please assist us in our campaign to get the best possible outcome for General Staff ASAP! |