NTEU negotiators welcome the fact that the University has tabled a salary offer.  We are disappointed however, that the employer didn’t present the offer to the negotiators in the first instance.  We will consider the offer and take feedback from Members.  We will also need to take into account how USQ salaries sit now and into the future.  Other offers around the country deliver at least 16% to June 2012 (e.g. CQU) whereas this offer (11.5% to that point) would deliver a final portion later in December 2012.  This offer would also see staff trying to absorb increasing costs-of-living with the prospect of increases of 2% in June and December next year and then having to wait until December the following year for another increase. 

At the most recent bargaining negotiation meeting on 25 November, there were some encouraging developments and responses from your employer.  We were given positive indications on the Union’s job security claims and on restricting fixed-term and casual employment at USQ.

However, there is still some way to go to resolve other key members’ claims on workloads, general employee classification processes and the end-of-year closure.  This last issue is certainly looming large for Members at this time of year and I’m sure that the $500 one-off payment will be welcomed.  Remember though, that USQ is the only university in Queensland that requires employees to use three days of their annual leave for the closedown period.  We were told at the last negotiation meeting that granting the Members’ claim (for no loss of annual leave for the closedown) would cause a considerable loss in productivity for the employer.  It was suggested that we would need to identify some ‘productivity improvements’ to offset that alleged loss.  NTEU negotiators took the opportunity of reminding the management representatives that USQ employees have been delivering improved productivity for some years now, through increased workloads, larger classes, new systems and methods of work and, of course, the ROP project.  It also needs to be recognised that staff members, both General and Academic, are performing more and more unpaid overtime.

Our next negotiation meeting is on 16 December and will provide us with an opportunity to assess progress against all the USQ Members’ claims.  We will provide another update before the end of the year.

Regards,

Brad Astbury

President

NTEU USQ Branch

MEMBER UPDATE USQ

At the last negotiation meeting on 14 October there was extensive discussion around the draft clauses that the employer had provided to us previously.  There were some positive outcomes from that process, with in principle agreement reached on some clauses for the new Agreement.  However, the majority of these were not related to resolving your claims and we are still to see any significant progress from the employer on key NTEU items.

Instead, the employer presented us with the detail of a number of their claims.  Even though we have been in negotiations since February, this is the first detailed indication we have been given about the employer’s proposals to change and reduce conditions for staff at USQ in a number of areas.  These include changes to the disciplinary arrangements for staff, redundancy processes and to consultation on organisational change.

“More efficient consultation”?

This last one is of particular concern as it appears to fundamentally change the current process where USQ staff have the right to be consulted and make a contribution where changes are proposed.  Instead, the employer is proposing that the only consultation with staff will take place after a decision has been made to make a change, and will only be about the implementation of that change.  The employer’s claim on this is that they want “more efficient consultation provisions”.   We say it is a reduction in conditions, and the employment conditions and salaries at USQ are already low enough – you deserve improvements to your working arrangements, not for your conditions to be even worse.

Further industrial action at USQ

The 9 September general meeting of USQ members voted to hold another meeting to consider further industrial action should there be no significant progress in negotiations by 16 October.  At a bargaining report-back meeting with members last week, it was clear that frustration and disappointment with the employer over the slow progress on NTEU members’ claims has only increased since the strike on 30 September.

Therefore, given that there will be bargaining negotiations on Wednesday 28 October, it can be foreshadowed that a general meeting of members will be called on Thursday the 29^th of October to consider further targeted industrial actions if there is still no significant progress on our claims.

General and Academic staff members of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) will take industrial action on Wednesday 30 September, by stopping work for 24 hours.

Enterprise bargaining negotiation meetings to establish a new Enterprise Agreement commenced at USQ in February this year and have continued to date. The previous agreement expired in November 2008 but negotiations were delayed while the University implemented an extensive restructuring and job shedding project called Realising our Potential. The aim of this project was to save $8.5 million each year to allow the University “to make decisions that are in the very best interest of the University, its staff and its students.”

On 9 September, a meeting of NTEU members voted unanimously that the USQ Branch of the NTEU proceed to a 24 hour strike on Wednesday 30 September 2009, and a campaign of rolling industrial action until such time as a satisfactory collective agreement is concluded. The Meeting also resolved that the Branch Committee be authorised to cancel the industrial action if, in their view, significant progress in resolving key claims was made by close-of-business on Monday 28 September 2009. The Union sought the following :

• A commitment to a competitive pay outcome.
• A commitment to improved job security, including restoring the rights and entitlements abolished to ensure compliance with the former Government’s Workplace Relations Requirements.
• A commitment to improved regulation of workloads.
• A commitment to better employment conditions and job security for casuals.

NTEU’s USQ Branch President, Mr Brad Astbury said, “These matters form only a part of the Union’s log of claims but their timely resolution would indicate significant progress in bargaining and demonstrate that the University places a high priority on its staff. “

At recent enterprise bargaining meetings, on 16th and 23rd September, the University tabled a number of draft clauses that generally reflect the management bargaining position, but have not resolved the Union’s claims.

“NTEU members at USQ are participating in this stoppage in support of their collective bargaining claims for manageable workloads, increased job security, a fair wages deal and other improvements to conditions that are expected to deliver quality education outcomes,” according to NTEU General Secretary Grahame McCulloch.

“It is time for management to invest in quality education outcomes by ensuring improved staff/student ratios, more resources, improved conditions and a reduction in the casualisation of the sector through improved conditions and more secure jobs for casual staff,” Mr McCulloch said.

“The Union acknowledges that the negotiations are complex and time intensive. That is why we have asked for more frequent meetings and for scheduled meetings to go for the allotted time”, said Mr Astbury. “Our negotiators remain fully committed to resolving our members’ claims and to negotiating in good faith with the University. The NTEU USQ Branch’s claims are relevant to USQ and in the best interests of all the University’s employees.”

For further information and comments

Brad Astbury, President
NTEU USQ Branch

Mobile number 0421 752 620