RACGP EBA ballot and outcomes
Most of you would by now know that the proposed RACGP Enterprise Agreement, which went to ballot last Thursday 9th was approved by the narrowest of margins – 88 votes yes – 87 votes no.
You would also know that the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) did not agree to the making of the proposed Agreement and recommended that staff vote against it, to which there has been a strong supportive response.
The fact that the proposed Agreement was approved by only one vote should be of great concern for the College. Clearly this is not an Agreement that is supported by an overwhelming majority of staff and has the potential to remain a contentious issue.
The NTEU remains concerned about the potential impact of the proposed new Agreement in reducing your existing employment rights and entitlements. The NTEU believes that there are real questions as to whether or not the proposed Agreement is valid and has been made in accordance with the requirements of the Fair Work Act. The NTEU believes that the College provided inadequate information to staff about the effect of the proposed new Agreement and that there were irregularities in the notifications that were required to be sent to staff. On these questions we are currently considering the legal avenues that are available in order to pursue them. We believe that there is a very real chance that Fair Work Australia will decline to approve the Agreement as it currently stands.
In light of these concerns and the fact that the proposed Agreement was approved by only 1 vote, we will be writing to the College to urge them to return to the bargaining table and seek an agreed resolution to all these matters. NTEU remains committed to reaching a genuine agreement that is fair and delivers real improvements to all staff.
We will keep you advised of any developments with regard to these matters. Please feel free to contact NTEU Industrial Officer Rhidian Thomas (rthomas@vic.nteu.org.au or 9254 1930) if you have any questions or would like to discuss anything further.
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