Union secures 16 per cent increase for university staff after 12 months of bargaining and negotiating

National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has successfully secured pay rises for six top Australian Universities. The deal will see pay increases of at least 16 per cent by mid 2012 as well as increased security for casuals and contract workers.

Universities involved in the deal include: Sydney University, La Trobe University, Edith Cowan University, James Cook University and the University of Canberra. This follows deals already negotiated with UWA, ANU, Ballarat, Deakin, and Victoria University.

Under the Coalition’s Higher Educations Workplace Relations Requirements (HEWRR’s), protections on fixed and casual employment were removed. Restoring these conditions has been a major issue for unions.

NTEU National Assistant Secretary, Ted Murphy suggested that the gains achieved under the deal had to be divided into two categories, those which were general improvements such as pay rises, and those which were restorations of terms and conditions lost in the last negotiation rounds.

This includes the reinstitution of limits on fixed term employment and the negotiation of a cap on casual employment.

“Our expectation is that more people will be employed on a permanent basis due to the revised terms of the agreement.

“Work that otherwise would have been offered on a contractual basis may now be offered on a fixed term contract.” said Mr Murphy

Another major benefit negotiated in the agreement includes additional payments to casual academic staff for marking outside teaching hours.

The agreement with Sydney University includes an overall increase of 17 per cent to be paid over two years.

La Trobe University staff will benefit from a pay increase of 16 per cent lasting until June 2012.

A deal with Edith Cowan University sees an increase of 17 per cent to be delivered over a two year period.

Professor Paul Johnson, Vice-Chancellor of La Trobe University congratulated the cooperation of the NTEU in working with the University to achieve a mutually beneficial Agreement. He also highlighted that the success was a reflection of the strong partnership and respect that existed between the union and the University.

This is given they have had at least four years of continuous service and a further contract of at least six months.

Other benefits negotiated also include:

• Options for casual staff to convert to more secure forms of employment
• Paid maternity leave at La Trobe University lifted from 26 weeks to 36 weeks, for staff with more than two years continuous service
• Implementation of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment
  strategy
• Payment for all sessional marking outside normal lecture and tutorial times