Collective Bargaining
What's on the agenda?
This year, NTEU will be negotiating with University management for a new Collective Agreement, including payrises and improved staff conditions. NTEU has consulted widely with staff in recent months about the issues that concern them most about their employment. That consultation has led to the following key claims:
Improved salaries
A 27% salary increase is needed by 2011 to ensure salaries remain competitive nationally and internationally.
Job Security
The previous Government’s WorkChoices and Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements (HEWRRs) caused reductions in job security and procedures relating to redundancy and termination of employment, and removed restrictions on fixed term contracts. These conditions should be restored.
Workloads
In NTEU’s national survey, staff rated excessive workloads as a key concern. NTEU will be claiming clear and substantive workload regulation.
Casual and Sessional Staff
Casual academic staff have been underpaid and undervalued for too long. Improvements in pay, job security, career paths and superannuation are long overdue.
Research Staff
The treatment of contract research staff as second-class staff needs to stop. NTEU will be claiming improvements in job security and employment conditions.
Academic Freedom
The rights of staff to engage in public debate is vital to maintaining universities’ role as ‘critic and conscience’ of society. These rights must be legally protected.
Parental and Carers Leave
In the last ‘round’ of university bargaining, NTEU delivered Australia’s leading standard on paid maternity leave. This time NTEU is seeking improved return-to-work arrangements and a better deal for those who care for young children or the elderly.
Classification and Promotion
General staff need fair and objective classification procedures, with clear and strict timeframes.
Indigenous Employment
As leaders in our communities, universities should be working to increase Indigenous employment, by setting targets and establishing senior Indigenous university positions.
Improved student services
The campaign aims to strengthen all aspects of universities, including securing a better deal for students around affordability and improved student services, increasing government funding, improving the employment security and conditions of staff, protecting university independence and academic freedom, and promoting environmental sustainability on campus.
To succeed in this important campaign we need your help!
This can be as simple as joining NTEU, telling colleagues about the campaign, downloading and using campaign resources, taking part in our online discussion forums, or attending your University’s next NTEU general meeting.
To find out more, contact your University’s local NTEU Branch.