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Curtin University wage deal the first in current round of university enterprise bargaining

Posted 26 October 2012 by Matthew McGowan (NTEU National Office)

Staff at Curtin University in Perth has won an in-principle agreement to provide 17% wage increase over 4 years. The in-principle agreement, which has been endorsed by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) Executive and members, is the first to be negotiated in any of Australia’s 37 public universities in the current round.

“This will be the first time that academic and general staff at Curtin University will be covered by the same agreement – thanks to a vigorous on the ground campaign waged by the NTEU under the banner of ‘Many voices, One agreement’,” said Matt McGowan, Assistant National Secretary.

 Key improvements in the deal include:

  • Reasonable salary increases
  • Firm workload caps for academic staff
  • Equal treatment for general and academic staff in serious misconduct and unsatisfactory work performance issues
  • The creation of more secure work for casual staff with the introduction of Scholarly Teaching Fellows, to be created from previously casualised work
  • Improved career development options for general staff

“While there are many differences in the work performed and the expectations about their roles, both academic and general staff are entitled to fair and reasonable treatment in dealing with serious misconduct, unsatisfactory work performance, managing change, security of employment and superannuation. Career prospects for general staff are set to improve,” McGowan said.

“The NTEU has been on a mission to ensure that general staff receive the same job security protections enjoyed by academic staff in cases of serious misconduct and unsatisfactory work performance, including access to review committees. Curtin University will no longer be able to summarily dismiss general staff.”

McGowan said that the EBA provided for firm caps on teaching loads.

“Teaching and research academics will have hours of teaching contact capped at 260 (40% load), 340 hours (50% load) or 420 hours (60% load). In a significant change, the NTEU has agreed that new teaching focussed jobs can be created with a 75% teaching load, capped at 550 hours p.a.,” he said.

“Importantly, casual staff will get a better deal as part of our national push to create 2000 teaching- focussed positions, known as Scholarly Teaching Fellows, to perform 20% of the work currently undertaken by casual staff.

“Under the Curtin agreement, 5% of the load carried by casuals will be converted to Scholarly Teaching Fellow positions over each year of the agreement. These new positions will carry 75% teaching loads for between 24-36 weeks, with cap of 550 contact hours annually. It’s a major advance for casuals who are largely excluded from access to full-time academic posts even though they now account for 50% of undergraduate teaching in Australian universities.”

McGowan said that the deal was good news for Curtin staff.

“There’s been some give and take but, overall, the new EBA will benefit all staff. It represents a good base for further negotiations in other universities. Nationally, we’re determined to convert 20% of casual work into full-time on-going Scholarly Teaching Fellow positions. Academia is third most casualised profession in Australia,” he said.

The NTEU will be directly represented on selection panels for these positions.

This is the first agreement in Western Australia where the NTEU has had exclusive coverage of the majority of general staff after the Community and Public Sector Union relinquished coverage of general staff at Curtin University in 2011.

 It is hoped that final negotiations will be concluded to allow Curtin staff to vote on a final agreement in mid-to-late November, with final approval by Fair Work Australia expected before the end of the year.

Media inquiries: Carmel Shute NTEU Media Officer: 0412 569 356 cshute@nteu.org.au

Media comment: Matt McGowan, NTEU Assistant National Secretary: 0417 054 110 mmcgowan@nteu.org.au

 

 

Tags: , , , • Related Blogs: ACT Division, NSW Division, NT Division, Vic Division, WA Division, SA Division, Qld Division, Tas Division, Australian Catholic University, University of Adelaide, Australian Defence Force Academy, Australian National University, University of Ballarat, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education, Bond University, University of Canberra, Charles Darwin University, Central Queensland University, Charles Sturt University, Curtin University of Technology, Deakin University, Edith Cowan University, Flinders University, Griffith University, James Cook University, La Trobe University, Macquarie University, University of Melbourne, Monash University, Murdoch University, University of Notre Dame Australia, University of Newcastle, University of New South Wales, Queensland University of Technology, RMIT University, Southern Cross University, Swinburne University of Technology, University of Sydney, University of New England, University of Queensland, University of South Australia, University of the Sunshine Coast, University of Southern Queensland, University of Technology Sydney, University of Western Australia, University of Western Sydney, Victoria University, University of Wollongong, edXpress

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