Monash Members Lead The Way By Voting For New Improved Enterprise Agreement
8 Dec 2004
NTEU members at Monash University have strongly endorsed management’s latest offer for a new Enterprise Agreement, that will deliver salary rises of 24.5% (27.32% compounded) by March 2008, and real improvements in several employment conditions, particularly parental leave, NTEU Victorian Division Secretary Matthew McGowan said today.
“We congratulate our Monash members on holding the line with the industrial action that was implemented in October,” NTEU Monash University Branch President Dr Carol Williams said. “While it falls short of some of our members’ expectations of what was achievable, it’s the best offer of any university in the country.”
“As a consequence of the membership vote, the ban on the transmission of semester 2 exam results has been lifted from 3pm this afternoon.”
Mr McGowan said that while the full details of the Agreement are yet to be finalised, agreement has been reached on improving maternity leave provisions to 36 weeks’ paid leave, regulation of academic workloads, restrictions on casual employment, and improved classification processes for general staff.
He said it’s important that Monash University has accepted the NTEU’s revised approach of extending this new Agreement as far as possible.
“Having an expiry date of March 2008 will provide the best possible protection to staff who’s employment conditions are threatened by changes that the Howard Government has foreshadowed since the federal election.”
Mr McGowan said that the NTEU had argued consistently throughout the protracted negotiations that if Monash University wanted to retain its status as a leading Australian university, then it should be prepared to pay its staff accordingly.
“This is what we’ve achieved. At this stage this is the best outcome that has been gained for staff compared to any of the other leading Australian universities, and goes some way towards recognising the integral role that staff play in establishing Monash’s status.”
“We call on the rest of Victoria’s universities who are still bargaining to now follow Monash’s lead and finalise new agreements that provide similar recognition.”
For further information and comment:
Matthew McGowan,
NTEU Victorian Division
Secretary
0417 054 110
Dr Carol Williams,
NTEU Monash University Branch
President
0425 702 700