Dear Colleagues,

The last bargaining negotiation meeting on 24 November continued in the same positive vein as the previous session. There is a noticeable increase in the pace of discussions, and a shared intention to work towards resolution of all outstanding claims and issues as quickly as possible. 

A longer meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow, December 1^st, and we are particularly interested in further discussion on the salary offer.  NTEU members told us that they don’t want salaries at QUT to fall behind again, so we have focussed on improving the timing of the proposed increases. 

Other claims to work towards finalisation include casual and fixed-term employment, disciplinary processes, disputes procedures and leave issues.

Separate discussions continue on the claims for improved conditions for Educators in the International College, with a meeting being held today, November 30.  An update meeting for members in the International College will be arranged for next week.

We are currently planning an end-of-year celebration with NTEU members, most likely this year on the GP campus. We will let you know the date and venue soon.

Best regards,

Evan Jones

Branch President

Dear colleagues,

November 17 Bargaining Session:

The full day of bargaining negotiations held on Tuesday this week was productive and generally positive.  In-principle agreement was reached on a number of claims including workloads and bullying.   Also, we were pleased with some more constructive proposals from the employer in relation to improved job security for fixed term research staff, rights for unions and increased partner leave for staff. 

However, matters such as the salary offer, the length of the Agreements, fixed-term and casual employment claims, disputes procedures and disciplinary processes remain unresolved.  Still, it is fair to say that the respective negotiating positions on outstanding matters are now clearer, and there is a lot of energy and effort being put towards finding suitable outcomes.  The next EB meeting will be on Tuesday 24 November, and we will keep you informed of progress.

International College Bargaining:

A separate bargaining meeting was held on Wednesday regarding the NTEU claims for Educators employed in the International College.  Following feedback from members in the area, a number of proposals have been put forward regarding workload regulation and appropriate remuneration and classifications. Again, there does seem to be a positive effort on the part of the employer to find a means of addressing these issues and we look forward to the employer response on these. 

I look forward to reporting back to you again next week.

Regards,

Evan Jones – QUT Branch President

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to report that at the EB meeting on November 10, the QUT management team showed the strongest indications to date that they are seeking  to conclude agreements in the very near future that are likely to meet the NTEU members’ log of claims.

Positive discussions at that last meeting on issues around workloads and improved job security for fixed term research staff suggest that these matters could be close to resolution on an in-principle basis. 

The members’ resolutions passed at the general meetings last week were presented to the management team and the issues raised will be part of the  further consideration and discussion at the Long Day of Bargaining, November 17.

Remaining key issues, including

• improved payment for marking for sessional academic staff,
• disciplinary action and dispute settlement procedures,
• limitation on the use of fixed term and casual appointments,
• job security,
• and the amount and timing of the salary increases,

will be among those for which we will be seeking satisfactory outcomes  by the end of the day.

The NTEU’s claims for improved conditions for the teaching staff at QUT International College will be addressed at a separate negotiation session on Wednesday, Nov 18.

The continued activity and participation of all NTEU members in our campaign to achieve a successful resolution for the bargaining claims is crucial for the NTEU bargaining team’s strategic position. We thank you for your campaign support and your NTEU profiling with colleagues and within your workplaces.

Best regards,

Evan Jones

President, NTEU QUT Branch