NTEU wins better staff conditions while ensuring maximum Government funding in new SCU Agreement
Thursday 15 September
The National Tertiary Education Union has this morning finalised with management a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement to cover all staff at Southern Cross University, winning a 22% pay increase, greatly improved parental and adoption leave along with several other improved conditions. Significantly, the agreement ensures that Southern Cross University will be eligible for the maximum funding under the Government’s Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements (HEWRRs), with the Union helping ensure the University’s ongoing financial well being.
In April this year the Federal Government revealed the new HEWRRs which enterprise agreements would have to meet in order for already cash strapped universities to receive their share of a $280 million pool of funding. The new Agreement to cover the University’s 1300 academic and general staff will be the first in NSW to meet the HEWRRs. Despite this, all staff entitlements are maintained or improved.
All Agreements now need to be sent to a government department, external to the University and staff, for vetting even though staff and management may have agreed. The Union has worked with the University to overcome this hurdle to ensure staff have certainty with their conditions and the University is not financially disadvantaged.
In addition, the new agreement will:
· bring the University into line with the minimum industry standard that has emerged of the equivalent of 26 weeks paid parental and adoption leave, achieved by the NTEU;
· deliver an enhanced severance payout for fixed term contract staff;
· retain the SCU specific classifications for academic and general staff;
· ensure employee involvement in managing unsatisfactory performance, misconduct and disputes arising out of the application of the agreement;
· ensure SCU will meet requirements for both the HEWRR contingent funding instalments (5% in 2006 and 7.5% in 2007), as it is an agreement that extends to 2008.
“While the Government’s interference has delayed the completion of bargaining to the detriment of staff and the University, the Union is pleased that staff have now won certainty with their improved conditions while the University has certainty in regards to its income from the Government” said Chris Game, who participated in final negotiations as State Secretary of the NTEU after having commenced negotiations in 2002 as a member of the University’s academic staff.
“Striking this agreement for SCU staff clearly shows the capacity of the NTEU to represent and protect the employment conditions and job security of all academic and general staff members” she said.
Staff will now enter the balloting process on the agreement prior to its certification before the Industrial Relations Commission which will most likely occur in mid-October.
For further information and
comment:
Ms Chris Game, State
Secretary, NTEU (NSW), 0408 007 612