SCU Members Bargaining Report

Management Makes Salary Offer

Your bargaining team met with the University on Thursday 1 October 2009.

The most dramatic development at the meeting was the tabling by management of their salary offer. The offer is:

4% paid from 1 October 2009 (already announced in response to CPSU request in June bargaining meeting)

3% paid from 1 October 2010, with an extra 1% paid if SCU meets Federal Government student targets

3% paid from 1 October 2011, with an extra 1% paid if SCU meets Federal Government student targets

3% paid from 1 October 2012, with an extra 2% paid if SCU meets Federal Government student targets

Management stated that part of the salary offer was tied to the University’s performance so that the University’s salary increases are tied to the University receiving Government funding for meeting student targets.

The CPSU bargaining team requested that a financial briefing be provided at the next bargaining meeting so that the salary offer can be considered in the context of the University’s finances.

CPSU members across the higher education sector have taken a consistent position against performance based salary increases whenever they have been proposed. The reasons include:

• Performance management should be dealt with on the basis of improving performance, not punishing staff by withholding salary increases.

• Large proportions of general staff, such as the library, IT or facilities, are doing work that is not tied to the proposed performance indicator. It is possible for these workers to do an extraordinary job and still not receive the performance based salary increase because of factors well beyond their control.

• The cost of living for general staff is not linked to performance. It is inequitable to tie the ability for general staff to make ends meet for themselves and their families to a performance indicator.

• Student load targets are agreed between University management and DEEWR. It is not known at present what the DEEWR student load figure for 2010 is, yet management proposes to tie a salary increase to it.

The CPSU will listen and consider with an open mind the University's capacity to provide salary increases, and at what level. However, the CPSU bargaining team is suspicious of performance based salary increases, and will be consulting members to decide on the next steps in bargaining.

Still Being Negotiated

Management tabled an Individual Flexibility Clause, which allows for trading off of overtime and shift penalties. The CPSU committed to table a Flexibility Clause in response at the next meeting. Agreement was reached on Termination of Employment, whilst the CPSU tabled clauses on General Staff Workloads, Misconduct, Indigenous Employment, and Application of Agreement.

Next meeting will see all remaining clauses tabled. The CPSU will table clauses on Abandonment of Employment and Superannuation. Negotiations continue on Intellectual Freedom; Probation; Unsatisfactory performance; General Staff Workloads; Overtime; Dispute Resolution; Application of Agreement; Parental Leave; Incremental Progression; OH&S; and Misconduct.

What’s Next?

The next EB meeting is scheduled for Thursday 15/10/2009.

If you have any questions on Enterprise Bargaining, please contact a delegate from your Bargaining Team.

What has been agreed?	CPSU claim met		What has not been agreed?	Outstanding issue(s)
4 weeks notice to terminate			Relationships to Awards & Policies	Close to agreement
Long Service Leave			Workloads	Close to agreement
Joint Consultative Forum			Indigenous Employment	Management to respond
4 weeks notice of non-renewal of fixed term contract			Disputes	Negotiations continue
Facilitation of Change and Labour Flexibility			Superannuation	CPSU to table clause next meeting
Variable hours			Overtime	Close to agreement
Sick leave			Union Rights	CPSU to respond
Travel			Misconduct	Negotiations continue
Annual Leave			Probation	Close to agreement
Community Service Leave			Incremental Progression	Mgt to respond to CPSU clause
Salary Packaging			Occupational Health and Safety	Mgt to respond to CPSU clause
Fixed Term Employment (CPSU and SCU)			Unsatisfactory Performance	Management to respond
Classification			Abandonment of Employment	CPSU to table clause at next meeting
General Staff Career Development			Salaries	CPSU awaites SCU finance briefing
Family/Carers Leave			Parental Leave	Close to agreement
Environmental Sustainability			Intellectual Freedom	Close to agreement
Redundancy			Flexibility	CPSU to respond
Casual General Staff			Application of Agreement	Management to respond
Hours of Work Principles
Military Leave
First Aid Allowance
Leave Loading
Public Holidays
Shift Penalties and Allowances
Travel for Work
Personal Leave
Performance Mgt Review
Terms of Engagement

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