General Staff Lead Enterprise Bargaining at UNE
General Staff Lead Enterprise Bargaining at UNE
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and the University of New England (UNE) are close to finalising the first collective agreement in NSW in the current round of university enterprise bargaining.
The Agreement gives a 4% pay rise per year for the next three years and a range of other gains including limits on the use of fixed term contracts, access to superior superannuation and increased severance pay for fixed term staff, workload protections, classification procedures, the payment of Time Off in Lieu at overtime rates, long-service leave for casual staff and comprehensive union rights.
The Agreement maintains other innovative conditions, including uncapped sick leave, five weeks annual leave, 26 weeks paid parental leave, paid stand down provisions and 30% on call allowance.
Marney Tilley, the CPSU Lead Negotiator said: “This agreement will deliver significant benefits to general staff and it will place the final nail in the coffin of the Howard Government’s WorkChoices laws in the university sector.”
One of the most important gains is that general staff will once again have a separate agreement. Ms Tilley said the union received well over 300 signatures on a petition in support of a separate agreement.
“General staff should be proud of what we will achieve with this agreement,” Ms Tilley said today.
The UNE CPSU negotiation team will today formally write to the University with several outstanding issues, including greater protections against the use of suspension without pay, further job security provisions for fixed term staff and back pay to take account of the fact that staff have not had a pay increase since 2008.
If the University responds positively to the Union’s outstanding issues the Agreement will be taken to CPSU members at UNE for endorsement.
For interviews contact Andrew Holland on 0418 236 867.
160 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW Phone (02) 9290 1555 Fax (02) 9262 1623
State Branch Secretary: John Cahill State Branch President: Sue Walsh