New Agreement for University of Ballarat
NTEU APPLAUDS historic deal
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) will recommend a Union Collective Agreement to its National Executive and to its members at the University of Ballarat that will provide 10.9% pay rise to January 2010, improved rights and pay for casuals, improved superannuation, a commitment to significantly improving employment opportunities for members of the Indigenous community and restoration of union rights.
“We are proud of what we will achieve with this agreement,” Matthew McGowan, NTEU Victorian Secretary said today. “This will deliver significant benefits to staff and it will place the final nail in the coffin of AWAs at the University.”
“Through this agreement staff have won a good salary increase and won back many of the conditions of employment lost during the divisive period following the introduction of the Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements (HEWRRs) and WorkChoices under the previous Coalition Government. This agreement demonstrates why unions are important for staff.”
NTEU Branch President at the University of Ballarat, Dr Jeremy Smith, went on to say: “This will represent a new chapter for the staff at the University of Ballarat. We will have an agreement that provides significantly improved conditions for staff, particularly in the areas of workloads, salaries, conditions for casual staff, indigenous employment and superannuation.”
The proposed agreement will represent the final chapter in a long and difficult path for both the University and its staff. The University of Ballarat was the centre of a major dispute during 2005 which reached its height when the University refused to negotiate with the union and offered pay rises only to those staff who accepted AWAs. Nearly 300 fixed term and continuing ended up on AWAs as a consequence. The NTEU then initiated a class action against the University for misleading conduct in the offering of the AWAs.
That class action was settled earlier this year on the basis that staff who had signed AWAs would be able to return to the Union Collective Agreement. Many UB staff have already terminated their AWAs, preferring to be covered by conditions negotiated by the Union. Just over half of fixed term and continuing staff who took up the AWAs remain on them. Those remaining will still be able to switch back if they apply to do so within 7 days of the parties reaching in-principle agreement on a new collective agreement following the endorsement processes required.
Details of the key elements of the agreement are attached.
For further information contact:
Matthew McGowan, Secretary, NTEU Victorian Division, Phone: (03) 9254 1930
Mobile: 0417 054 110, Email: mmcgowan@vic.nteu.org.au
Jeremy Smith, Branch President, NTEU University of Ballarat Branch
Phone: (03) 5327 9633 Mobile: 0429 334 938, Email: jeremy.smith@ballarat.edu.au
Key elements of the proposed University of Ballarat Union Collective Agreement:
Improvements in salary:
For all staff:
- 1.5% from date of signing
- 3% from January 2009
- 2% from July 2009
- 4% from January 2010
- Total: 10.9% (compounded)
For casual employees:
- Casual loading increased from 23% to 25%
- All casual marking outside the contact hour to be separately paid
- 5 hours paid induction for new sessional academic staff
For TAFE general staff:
- Access to 17% employer contribution to superannuation for staff currently on Vic Super (9%).
Improvements in Job Security
- Re-establishment of HECE (Higher Education Contract of Employment) Award restrictions on the mis-use of fixed term contract employment
- Early Career Development fellowship appointments to be established to enable 12% of (EFT) existing casual academic employees to move to two-year, tenure-track contracts.
- Long service leave for casual staff, in accordance with the state Long Service Leave Act.
- Restoration of natural justice and fair processes for discipline and dismissal procedures.
Improved career paths:
- Improved reclassification processes for general staff.
- Expanded access to linking of general staff classifications.
- Target for increased Indigenous employment.
- Outside Studies Program introduced for academic staff.
- Classification standards for academic and general staff included in the Agreement.
Indigenous Employment:
- Commitment to a 75% increase in Indigenous employment (currently 4 positions to increase to 7 positions) by 31 December 2009.
- Commitment to including higher targets following conclusion of Reconciliation Action Plan development with an expectation that this will exceed 15 positions.
- Increased cultural and ceremonial leave of up to 10 days unpaid leave in addition to current 5 days paid leave.
Other improvements:
- Limits on workload for academic staff, with collegiate process for developing workload models and workload allocation.
- Stronger protections for intellectual freedom
- Sessional academic staff to have library and email access for 3 months beyond any particular period of work.
- Commitment to improved environmental record.
- Union involvement in a range of committees and in the resolution of workplace disputes.
- Most senior staff no longer excluded from important Agreement conditions.
- Part time staff have improved access to superannuation.
- Junior rates of pay eliminated.
- Right to refuse unreasonable overtime established for general staff.
- Improved provision of uniforms for trades, cleaning and catering staff.