Pay Freeze
From: directorhr@uq.edu.au
[mailto:directorhr@uq.edu.au]
Sent: Wed 9/24/2008 5:09 PM
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: UQ Response to Unions Logs of Claims
To All Staff
The University of Queensland, this week, met with
representatives of the Academic and General staff unions to
respond to their logs of claims following the expiry of the
current Enterprise Agreements for Academic, General and Institute
for Continuing and TESOL Education (ICTE) staff. These
Agreements will continue to be observed until they are
replaced.
The Unions proposals are all very similar and involve the
equivalent of a 27% increase in pay and a large number of other
claims for improved entitlements which in many cases go well beyond
current community standards, or the situation at this
University. The Unions propose a short agreement expiring on
December 31, 2009, followed by a second more comprehensive
agreement until June 30, 2011.
The Universitys position, like that of many other Universities,
both Go8 and otherwise, is that this level of pay increase is
neither affordable nor sustainable in the current financial climate
in which Universities must operate, particularly in 2009.
An increase of this magnitude would inevitably result in
significant re-structuring of parts of the University involving
retrenchment of many staff. Our initial calculations are
that, unless we receive massive additional funding from the Federal
Government, the University would need to reduce its staff numbers
by approximately 20% to fund such an increase.
Whilst the University has rejected the proposed pay rise, it has
offered to commence bargaining with a single bargaining unit for
one Agreement covering all Academic, General and ICTE staff, with
the Agreement running for at least three years. A single
bargaining agreement would reflect the many common conditions
already in existence for all staff at UQ and be administratively
more efficient.
Given the great uncertainty about the impact on Universities of the
Federal Governments reform of the industrial relations environment
and the likelihood that the future financial position will not be
known until the Federal Government responds to the Cutler
Innovation Review and the Bradley Review of Higher Education, the
only responsible position for the University to take is to delay
bargaining until these parameters are known.
The Senior Executive pay tribute to the outstanding performance of
all staff and the contribution they make to the success of the
University. The Vice-Chancellor has approved an
increase in academic and general staff salaries administratively
from 1 January 2009 of 4%. ICTE staff, who received a 3.5%
increase in July of this year, will receive a further 0.5% from 1
January 2009 to bring them into line with the rest of the
staff.
Noting that there are 27 pay periods in 2009 and taking
into account incremental progression and income tax cuts, the
University believes that, these increases will enable the
purchasing power of staff salaries to be maintained.
(emphasis added)
Professor Alan Rix
Mr Douglas Porter
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Secretary and Registrar
24 September 2008