DEAKIN UNIVERSITY ACHIEVES NEW ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT
April 22, 2005
Deakin University has reached settlement on a new Enterprise Agreement, that will provide the best possible protection for staff’s employment conditions through to 2008, NTEU Victorian Division Secretary Matthew McGowan said today.
The new Agreement will be put before members meetings for approval next week. It will deliver 22% total salary increases by March 2008, 26 weeks paid maternity leave, improved conditions for casual employees and better regulation of academic workloads.
“Finalising this Agreement demonstrates that without outside interference, the University and the NTEU can reach a satisfactory settlement that will provide stability and certainty for the University and its staff for the next three years,” Mr McGowan said.
“This stability will be disrupted if Education Minister Brendan Nelson carries through with his threats to interfere in universities’ industrial relations matters. His interference is unnecessary and unwanted, by the University and by staff.”
“We congratulate our Deakin members in achieving this settlement,” said NTEU Deakin Branch President Michael Wood. “This agreement has taken over 18 months to achieve. Members have been prepared to take action on numerous occasions during that time to provide a circuit-breaker to stalled or deadlocked negotiations.”
“Their actions have achieved a reasonable outcome, one that we hope they will be able to enjoy without interference from the Howard government.”
For further information and comment:
Matthew McGowan, Victorian Division Secretary, Ph: (03) 9254 1930
Michael Wood, NTEU Deakin Branch President, Ph: (03) 5227 8231