Bargaining resumed for 2010 on Tuesday 9 Feb 2010 and the Management team continued their show of non-responsiveness and disinterest to the NTEU’s claims.
Contract Research Staff
Having put on the table a thoughtful and progressive claim for Contract Research Staff, it beggars belief that the Management team could flatly refuse to engage around the issues, despite the fact that this category of staff continue to put up with unacceptable levels of job insecurity and lack of entitlements.
The crux of the Union’s claim is that the University organise contracts for Research Only staff in such a way that would harness the excellent skills and experience of these staff in between projects instead of leaving them hung out to dry when funding runs out. We simply do not accept that a large proportion of the workforce should be in insecure forms of employment. NTEU also wants to see some form of severance pay to compensate for the University’s inability to provide further employment.
Management have simply not put any real thought into how they could better provide employment security for Research Only staff, despite purporting to be an “aspiring research University”. Such aspirations will never be reached by treating research only staff as second class.
ACTION OPPORTUNITY!
The NTEU has drafted an excellent and carefully considered claim for research only staff and we want to make sure all research only staff have seen it. If you are working as this category of staff at Macquarie in one of the Research centres (or elsewhere) and would be happy to help book a morning tea, an NTEU representative will gladly come to your tea room and talk about the claim. We just need you to organise the date and invite your colleagues along.
If you are interested or have any questions about what’s involved, please call Cat Coghlan in the branch office on 9850 7643, or email: nteu@mq.edu.au
Academic Workloads
Not only was Management not ready to discuss Academic Workloads on Tuesday, it wasn’t until the NTEU bargaining team said that it would be reporting back to members at the General Meeting the next day that they were able to suggest some dates to start discussing this important claim. They have come back with an initial date of March 11 – weeks into first semester when Academic staff will already be up to their eyeballs in excessive workload. Academic staff are working under unacceptable strain as student enrolments continue to rise and casualisation is out of control. Something has to change; NTEU members cannot be expected to continue saying ‘yes’ to workload when Management keep saying ‘no’ to resources.
ACTION OPPORTUNITY!
Make sure you get along to the General Meeting on March 16, scheduled to coincide with the initial bargaining discussions about Academic Workloads on March 11 and following. It will be an important meeting for deciding what we as a Union can do about Management’s stalling tactics on workloads, if all signs at that time are pointing to more delays.
No place for Union Involvement in MQ Decision Making
On the important issues of General Staff Career development, Managing Change Provisions in the Staff Agreement, Unsatisfactory Performance, and Probation it seems that management intends to hold on to the Howard Government’s denial of Union rights to appeal, and the right to play a genuine part in University decision making. The NTEU is seeking to improve appeals processes across all these clauses of the Agreement, and will not back down until we see every trace of HEWRRs gone from the Macquarie staff agreement.
New Computer Surveillance Policy
Despite management team’s claim at Bargaining on Tuesday to know nothing about plans to introduce computer surveillance of all use of staff computers, the NTEU has been made aware of a new policy to be introduced at Macquarie. What the uni is setting out to do has very serious implications for privacy and all members should make themselves aware of the draft policy on the HR website and engage in commenting on the draft.
For further information on the subject of your privacy rights at work see this website: http://www.yourprivacy.co.uk/YourPrivacyRightsAtWork.html
Casuals Claim
The NTEU is seeking to increase the casual loading for casual staff, separate marking pay for casual academics, and the introduction of early career development fellowships, with a view to conversion to ongoing appointments. So far, Management have been receptive to our casuals’ claim.
PDR and 360 degree feedback
The NTEU is seeking to ensure that the supervisory practise of team leaders and managers is reviewed in the PDR process. Stay tuned for more info about this new claim and others the NTEU is seeking improvements to.
If you have any comments, want more information, or would like to get involved, contact Cat Coghlan, Branch Organiser, nteu@mq.edu.au or in the office on 9850 7643.
