NTEU FLINDERS BRANCH E-BULLETIN

13^th April 2010

NTEU REPORT ON 12^th APRIL COLLECTIVE BARGAINING MEETING

ADELAIDE UNIVERISTY STAFF RECEIVE A 3% SALARY INCREASE

UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE ABOUT TO SETTLE

NTEU report on 12^th April Collective Bargaining Meeting

Due to the length of time these negotiations are taking, external factors have now resulted in further changes to the Agreement being required. For example, the introduction on 1 January 2010 of the National Employment Standards as part of the Fair Work Act has provided for the more flexible use of sick leave for family carer responsibilities. Such a change needs to be reflected in our new Agreement.

Also in January this year, the National Higher Education Awards for both General and Academic Staff came into effect. The NTEU is ensuring that the Agreement provisions at Flinders are no less favourable than the underlying Award provisions.

At the Collective Bargaining meeting on Monday 12 April the NTEU spoke to its previously circulated document, commenting on a draft Agreement prepared by the University and advising the University that amendments needed to be made in the light of the external changes outlined above.

The University advised that it would be responding to our document and a further negotiating meeting would then be scheduled.

The key areas of disagreement with the University remain:

• Reincorporation of key employment policies such as General Staff Classification Descriptors and Academic Promotion Policy into the Agreement
• Improved superannuation eligibility based on total length of service rather than length of individual contracts
• Reinstatement of right of Union to notify a dispute under the Agreement in relation to an interpretation, application or operation of any clause of the Agreement
• Competitive salary increase

Adelaide University staff receive a 3% salary increase

Flinders salaries will fall even further behind other SA Universities with the recent announcement by the University of Adelaide that it will pay staff a further 3% increase from the first pay period on or after 30 June this year.

In our recent Branch Newsletter, we reported that Adelaide was already paying a Senior Lecturer $2,491 more and an HEO6 $1,529 more than their equivalent at Flinders.  The June increase will make this differential even more marked and Flinders even less competitive.

University of Melbourne about to settle

Melbourne University is joining the growing number of Universities who have or are very close to reaching agreement.

As a result of the 16% pay increase by October this year, a Senior Lecturer at Melbourne will be paid $9,195 more and an HEO6 $6,378 than their counterpart at Flinders.

PROGRESS MADE AT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

The NTEU is pleased to advise that progress was achieved in some key areas at yesterday’s Collective Bargaining meeting.

In particular, the University has agreed to the principle of separate payment for marking by casual academic staff and withdrawn its proposal to limit the right of general staff members to seek reclassification.

All parties agreed that it was important to finalise negotiations. As a result, a draft Agreement will form the basis for the next negotiating meeting scheduled for late March.

Members should be aware however that there are still some critical matters to be resolved including restoration of ALL pre-HEWRR staff rights prior to the Agreement being finalised.

As a result of this positive development, a meeting of members will not be convened at this time.

WHAT ABOUT SALARY?

The University indicated that salary would be last item they would be prepared to negotiate.

Unfortunately, despite the recent 3.4% pay increase, Flinders still remains amongst the lowest paying universities in this country.

Our March Branch Newsletter will provide members with detailed information about this issue.

FLINDERS NOW A LOWEST PAYING UNIVERSITY

Despite the recently announced administrative increase which Flinders staff will receive on 26 February 2010, Flinders has become and will remain one the lowest paying Australian Universities.

Flinders now groups itself as a bottom payer with Central Queensland University, University of Southern Queensland and Charles Darwin University.

This is a significant decline from the mid-range salary position that Flinders occupied for many years

Such a decline does not accord with the Vice-Chancellor’s statements to staff in his recent Town Hall meeting, that Flinders was in a “reasonably healthy position” and “revenue would be up in 2010.”

Such a decline also does not accord with the 2007 Shanghai Jiao-Tong University Academic Ranking of World Universities where Flinders was ranked in the top:
10 universities in Australia; 64 universities in the Asia- Pacific region; 400 universities in the world.

GENERAL STAFF SHOULD HAVE A RIGHT TO SEEK A RECLASSIFICATION REVIEW

The University is currently seeking to limit the right of general staff to seek a review of their classification level in a way that would effectively mean that it was no longer available to staff.

The NTEU’s position is that such a fundamental work place right is not to be traded off.

No other University in this round of bargaining has made such a demand of its general staff.

C2R2 – PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE IMPLEMENTING THIS BAN

Thank you to members who have advised us that they are implementing the ban on any extra work associated with the C2R2 process.

The significant extra work that has been generated for both academic and general staff members has not been recognised by the University in collective bargaining negotiations.

We therefore ask members to seriously consider participating in this ban and letting us know if you are doing so.

BAN ON EXAM RESULTS

The NTEU is currently reviewing the ban on transmission to the University of assessment and exam results and we will advise members as soon as possible if there is any change.

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS

Please contact us by return email or by phoning ext 12656 if you have any questions or comments about this advice.