Background to the campaign
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HAVE YOU (OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW) BEEN OFFERED EMPLOYMENT ONLY IF YOU SIGN AN AUSTRALIAN WORKPLACE AGREEMENT (AWA) ?
Your Union says - Management should give staff genuine choice and staff should stick with the enterprise agreement.
The University of Wollongong management have ignored the clear message from the Federal Election – that we do not want harsh industrial laws where people are forced onto Australian Workplace Agreements with inferior conditions.
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) became aware last Friday that the University has offered new staff in the Graduate School of Medicine (GSM) no choice about their terms of employment – if they want the job they must accept a 5 year Australian Workplace Agreement which has inferior conditions and guaranteed pay rises compared with the University’s Enterprise Agreements for academic and general staff negotiated with the union (the NTEU).
Management have advised the NTEU that AWA-only offers have been made to all new academic and general staff in the GSM; that they have also been offered in some other areas of the University on occasion; and they reserve the right to offer AWA-only employment in the future.
The NTEU has notified a dispute about this with the University management and asked that the University adhere to clause 5.2 of the University of Wollongong Enterprise Agreements for Academic and General Staff which both say:
At the time of offering an AWA the University will offer a genuine and informed choice between the AWA and this Agreement.
The response of University management has been to advise that it will allow current University staff but not new staff to be offered the choice of the Enterprise Agreement or AWA. They are reserving the right to offer new staff employment on the basis that if they do not sign an AWA they will not get the job. Management have also advised that they will respond to the Union concerns about AWA–only employment offers by no later than Monday 14 January.
The NTEU has sought a commitment from management that if they want to offer AWAs to anyone they also offer the choice of the Enterprise Agreements (as per clause 5.2 of the Agreements) and that in the meantime, they not process any AWA that has been signed by a staff member without that staff member having been offered the option of the Enterprise Agreement. Management have not been prepared to make that commitment.
Staff who sign an AWA will immediately cease to be covered by the Union Enterprise Agreement, and will also miss out on any pay rises and improvements negotiated in the next Enterprise Agreement to take effect from November 2008.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
1. If you (or someone you know) have been offered AWA-only employment at the University at any stage with no capacity to opt to be covered by the Enterprise Agreement then please let the NTEU know the details. University management should have offered you the choice and we hope to get staff who entered any AWA-only employment to be given a choice to have the Enterprise Agreement conditions and pay apply.
2. If you are offered work on the basis of AWA-only then advise the University management that you wish to choose the Enterprise Agreement.
3. If you require any further information contact the NTEU immediately.
NB Contact Trish Mullins Legal/Industrial Officer in the NTEU Division Office on (02) 9212 5433 or trish.mullins@nsw.nteu.org.au until the local office re-opens on Monday 14 January 2008