UTS academics achieve landmark enterprise bargaining outcomes
26 July 2004
The Australian Industrial Relations Commission today certified the new Enterprise Agreement that will cover employment conditions for approximately 1,700 academic staff at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS).
UTS is the second university in NSW to have both academic and general staff agreements certified in this round of enterprise bargaining in the University sector.
The Agreement, which comes into effect today, includes provisions for up to 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave that match the emerging industry standard.
Dr. Keiko Yasukawa, the UTS Branch President of the NTEU, which represents academic and general staff of the University, said that this agreement was a good outcome that includes not only a competitive salary outcome (19% flat, 20.58% compounded over 3 years) for UTS staff, but conditions that have been fought hard by members of the NTEU.
“NTEU members were keen to ensure that the new agreement delivered outcomes which did not diminish conditions for staff, and improved conditions for staff who have been disadvantaged due to systemic and historical reasons”, Yasukawa said.
An Indigenous Australian employment clause provides for a professional development fund and a staff support network, as well as a strong commitment to strategies that will increase the number of Indigenous Australian staff at UTS.
Conditions for casuals have also been improved to include the immediate implementation of an increased casual loading of 23%, as well as access to a professional development fund. UTS has one of the highest levels of casualisation of academic work, and many long term casuals took active interest in the enterprise bargaining process in this round.
Staff completing a PhD will also be able to apply for a competitive doctoral completion scholarship fund.
“NTEU members were very determined to get fair outcomes for all members in this round of bargaining, and held out until we reached outcomes that were acceptable by all of us. As a result, we did not have to give up important conditions. We are pleased that the University has given an undertaking that the improved maternity and adoption leave provisions that we were able to achieve in the academic bargaining will flow on to our general staff colleagues”, Yasukawa said.
Contact: Keiko Yasukawa, President, NTEU UTS Branch, 02-9514 2437