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CPSU Newcastle draft Log of Claims

CPSU Newcastle draft Log of Claims

June 14, 2009

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The University of Newcastle Branch of the CPSU serves the following claims on the University of Newcastle in respect of a new union collective agreement for General Staff.

To make sure we are listened to, we seek:
1. A three year collective Agreement to cover all General Staff employed by the University of Newcastle and its wholly or majority owned and controlled entities.
2. An Agreement that recognises the right of General Staff to join the CPSU, participate in union activities and be represented by the union.
3. An Agreement that recognises the right of the CPSU to represent the industrial interests of General Staff and restores direct CPSU involvement in all relevant processes under the Agreement.
4. An Agreement that recognises the role of workplace CPSU representatives and provides them with the capacity to undertake this role. The University will assist them to maintain an on‐campus office and resources for effective representation. This will include their right to access time release to attend to CPSU union duties and for members to access paid trade union training leave.
5. Access for CPSU delegates to staff induction sessions, and the capacity to provide new staff with CPSU information kits.
6. An Agreement containing comprehensive arrangements to guarantee meaningful consultation with staff and the CPSU over change management and a commitment that all change proposals will be communicated to all staff for comment, not merely to identified stakeholders.
7. A commitment that all change management proposals that incur job loss will be notified to University Council and require University Council endorsement before implementation.
8. An increase in the redundancy payments to four weeks for every year of service without a cap.
9. An Agreement that subjects any consideration for the outsourcing of work of General Staff to an agreed process.
10. A commitment to include General Staff in all relevant aspects of University governance.
11. An agreement that University Council will receive the minutes of the Consultative Committees set up to monitor the implementation of the Agreement. The Consultative Committee minutes also to be circulated promptly to General Staff.
12. An Agreement that provides appropriate avenues of appeal.
To protect our terms and conditions, we seek:
13. To maintain all existing conditions and entitlements for General Staff except where they are enhanced as a result of negotiations.
14. That the rights and entitlements of General Staff are comprehensively expressed in the Agreement.
15. A commitment that policies and guidelines that affect the working conditions of General Staff will only be made or varied after consultation and agreement with the CPSU.
16. The restoration of all General Staff conditions, entitlements and workplace processes directly or indirectly removed from the previous General Staff Agreement because of the Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements.
17. Agreed and improved procedures for recruitment, selection, appointment, probation, confirmation, transfer, secondment, resignation and termination.
18. A commitment that continuing employment will be the standard form of employment for General Staff.
19. Improved job security for all fixed‐term and casual employees, and including a process to convert fixed‐term employees to ongoing employment.
20. A commitment that the University will secure ongoing employment for staff in research centres where there is a history and expectation of continued funding.
21. A comprehensive review of work‐related travel provisions which retains a guarantee that all General Staff will have a Primary Place of Work, and that time travelled for work away from the primary place will be treated as worked time for all purposes.
22. A review of the terms and conditions for international travel on University business.
To Improve or pay and superannuation, we seek:
23. Guaranteed fully funded pay increases of 9% per annum over the life of the Agreement calculated from the nominal expiry date of the current Agreement. Each pay increase will compound onto the previous salary.
24. A sign‐on payment of $2000, for all General Staff covered by the Agreement, to increase the annual salary rate.
25. All allowances should be increased from the beginning of the Agreement consistent with the total agreed salary increases over the term of the Agreement.
26. An allowance for Evacuation Wardens commensurate with the First Aid allowance.
27. Improvements to the on‐call allowance and clarification of current entitlements.
28. The Higher Duties Allowance to attract superannuation contributions where the allowance continues beyond 12 months.
29. An increase in the employer superannuation contributions to 15% for fixed term and casual staff and 22% for ongoing staff.
30. Provisions to ensure that all work will be remunerated at the appropriate rates and improved access to overtime for part time staff.
To allow us to balance work and life we seek:
31. A commitment to reasonable working hours for General Staff with no increase to the ordinary hours of work, and that General Staff are to be paid or otherwise recompensed for all work in accordance with the Agreement.
32. A commitment that working hours and working arrangements will take account of the need to balance personal and work commitments. This will include access to part‐time work, job sharing and purchased leave.
33. Flextime provisions in the Agreement that ensure equitable access to the taking of flex leave. Flextime has been eroded into a predicted roster system. The CPSU seeks to restore the elements of flexibility and concession that were essential to the original concept.
34. A commitment that in providing a safe and healthy work environment the University will ensure that workloads of General Staff are safe, realistic and achievable and a commitment to maintain staffing levels at or above the requirement for safe workloads.
35. The introduction of a General Staff Workload Appeals Committee.
36. A regular assessment of General Staff work organisation, work load and work flow, to inform the monitoring of workload allocation and ensure reasonable and manageable workloads. This will include consideration of ability to access accrued leave, including flex leave and a review of the staffing profile where high load is experienced.
37. A commitment that all change management proposals must include an assessment of the workload implications for General Staff.
38. An increase in annual leave loading to 25% and an increase in the annual leave entitlement to five weeks per year to reflect the University’s Christmas shutdown.
39. Qualitative and quantitative improvements to parental leave, including an increase to paid partner (non‐primary care giver) leave to four weeks.
40. A commitment that positions of General Staff on all forms of leave are adequately backfilled so as to ensure that work continues and does not accumulate for their return.
41. Improvements to Long Service Leave, including the payment of Long Service Leave after five years of service.
42. Limitations on the ability of the University to direct General Staff to take leave. No direction to take Long Service Leave.
43. A minimum of two weeks paid grandparent leave and other forms of leave that will facilitate the retention of mature age workers.
44. An increase to the personal leave entitlement allowing for three days leave for each occasion when a member of the employee's family contracts or develops a personal illness that poses a serious threat to his or her life OR sustains a personal injury that poses a serious threat to his or her life OR dies.
45. Improvements to Defence Force Leave in line with current reserve requirements, with additional leave contingent on qualification for Employer Support payments.
46. Improvements to personal leave to provide for voluntary creation of communal leave banks from unused individual sick leave accruals for use by workgroup members with serious ongoing illness AND the introduction of a “Welly” or mental health day (converse of “Sickie”) AND “Career Break” leave.
To ensure we are treated with respect, we seek:
47. Improvements to the job evaluation and classification process that will include the CPSU in the process, require mutual agreement in constitution of review panels, and provide for individuals and classes of employees to initiate requests for reclassification. Processes must be fully documented, timely and transparent, with continual feedback to the applicant(s).
48. The regular review and comparison of all positions for accuracy and consistency in job evaluation, ensuring equity across the institution. This should include the review of technical work and its appropriate grading as soon as practicable after the agreement is finalised.
49. An undertaking that the Higher Duties Allowance will be used appropriately and equitably to facilitate General Staff career development.
50. Improved Career Development provisions within Managing for Performance, including:
  a. a commitment that Managing for Performance will only be used formatively and not punitively;
  b. supervisor training in job evaluation and classification to provide for discussion on these issues in Managing for Performance;
  c. professional development leave to enable General Staff to engage in professional development activities outside the University in order to enhance and develop their professional knowledge, skills and abilities;
  d. more in‐sourced professional training using the educational resources of the institution;
  e. updated and improved HECS reimbursement scheme;
  f. centrally‐funded budget for staff development in order to remove local objections on relevance to job;
  g. comprehensive on‐the‐job training for all General Staff, with training and retraining treated as a normal part of working life; and
  h. access to study at the University of Newcastle at a discounted rate.
51. A scholarship scheme for children of General Staff for study at University of Newcastle. 
52. Guaranteed access for staff to University Health Service and University Counseling Service on an equal footing with students.
53. A fairer and more transparent process for medical retirement.
54. Greater recognition of the importance of OH&S, Emergency Management, SES & other volunteers by introducing allowances & other benefits for these roles.
55. A commitment to the zero tolerance of all forms of discrimination, bullying and harassment and enforceable protections against bullying and harassment.
56. Involvement of CPSU education officers in presenting University seminars for General Staff on OHS issues. 
57. Improvements to the management of unsatisfactory performance and misconduct.
58. Commitments to legislative requirements relating to Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity & Anti ‐Discrimination to include specific measures and targets to improve university diversity.
Other
59. The CPSU reserves the right to raise throughout negotiations other matters that are to the benefit of General Staff.

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