NTEU AGREEMENT AT SYDNEY UNI A SLAP IN THE FACE FOR GOVERNMENT’S INDUSTRIAL HARDLINERS
December 10 2003
The signing on Wednesday of a comprehensive enterprise bargaining agreement between Sydney University and the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) represents a slap in the face to industrial hardliners in the Federal Cabinet and their continuing push to force university staff onto Australian Workplace Agreements.
“Today’s agreement comes less than a week after the Senate rejected the Government’s plan to deny $404 million in much needed funding to universities unless they adopt harsh workplace relations requirements,” said Grahame McCulloch, NTEU General Secretary.
“It represents a rebuff to the confrontational approach adopted by industrial hardliners in the Federal Cabinet, and proves that university staff and management can sort out their own industrial arrangements without Government interference.”
“The Agreement delivers at the top end on a range of concerns to the NTEU and staff at Sydney University, while excluding all the Government’s proposed requirements for universities to receive additional funding, including no requirement for AWAs to be offered to university staff,” said McCulloch. “Most importantly, it will improve the quality of the education the University provides.”
Today’s Agreement includes:
- A competitive 20% pay increase over three years
- 36 weeks paid parental leave
- A detailed strategy to improve Indigenous employment
- A cap on casual employment and a 25% casual loading
- Strong recognition of trade union rights, including the provision of time release for Branch Presidents, payroll deduction of Union fees and six days trade union training leave
- Full protection of intellectual freedom
Negotiations have been going on at Sydney University since October 2002, part of sector wide enterprise bargaining round presently underway at all 38 of the Australia’s public universities.
Sydney University management and the NTEU were on the verge of signing an enterprise agreement in early September, only to have it derailed at the last minute by the release of then Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott’s higher education workplace funding requirements.
“Sydney University is a leading institution in terms of educational and industrial outcomes and this Agreement points the way towards the NTEU being able to implement much of its bargaining agenda on a sector wide basis,” said McCulloch.
For information and comment:
Grahame McCulloch, NTEU General Secretary
Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President