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University of New South Wales Enterprise bargaining update

University of New South Wales Enterprise Agreement update – May 2018 (PDF version)

Your CPSU NSW bargaining team used the opportunity of the 10 May meeting with Management to table important clauses on Flex and Annual Leave.

Our Flex clause (which you can read HERE) aims to secure the following improvements:

• A minimum standard of entitlements, to ensure consistent and fair access to Flex for all UNSW Professional Staff;
• Provisions to protect gold-standard Flex entitlements in work areas that currently exceed the minimum standard;
• The ability for staff to have a say in the development of local Flex policies
• A requirement for managers to provide a business case to demonstrate genuine operational needs before removing current local policies, to prevent arbitrary actions.

The University have committed to considering our draft clause; however, their initial response suggests that we may have a fight on our hands. They have indicated that while they are generally in favour of Flex schemes, they are against applying a minimum standard university-wide for fear of treading on the toes of local managers. Management was quick to point out that Flex arrangements are subject to operational needs, and they believe that the current clause is adequate.

CPSU NSW also tabled a draft Annual Leave clause (which you can read HERE). Our proposed changes would bring UNSW into line with recent changes to the Modern Award that provide improved conditions around excess leave balances and taking leave in advance. CPSU NSW members have told us that the ability to take Annual Leave in advance to cover events like the Christmas shutdown is important. This is one of our key claims, and we will continue to push for it. Discussions around Annual Leave are ongoing.

Finally, the Unions welcomed Management’s response to the Managing Change clause, but reiterated that we will not back down on our claims for Job Security, improved Minor Change provisions, and the removal of the cap on Redundancy payments.

As always should you have any feedback to give concerning Enterprise Bargaining, feel free to contact our UNSW CPSU NSW branch president Alister Wareing , bargaining team member Warassamon Kate Brown or CPSU NSW organiser Chris Bird .

If you are not yet a member of the CPSU NSW, you can join the CPSU NSW by going to www.cpsunsw.org.au.