University of Wollongong – enterprise bargaining and $1000 payment (pdf version)
The CPSU NSW has been lobbying the University during bargaining since April this year for an administrative payment to staff in good faith.
The last 1.5% was rolled out in December 2017.
If progression continued from the University of Wollongong (General Staff) Enterprise Agreement 2014, a pay increase would have taken place in April 2018.
Since April this year, we have stated frequently during bargaining that our members held their wages as a priority and on Tuesday 4 September, the University announced that they would make a “one off’ payment of $1,000 to all staff, (with the exception of casuals) while bargaining progressed.
This is a win for the CPSU NSW as it was our issue and our persistence at the table that the University responded to.
There are still some outstanding items from this last meeting that have not been agreed:
Casual loading: we are not in agreement over what that loading covers exactly. We agree it covers sick leave and rec leave, but we are disputing it should also cover long service leave
Domestic Violence Leave Clause: the CPSU NSW is pleased we now have a stand-alone clause as this was an item we put on the table early this year. The number of paid leave days lingers as a sticking point and is not yet finalized. The unions have stated that this should be 20 days paid leave, but the University wanted to use the terminology “up to 20 days”, not just “entitled to 20 days”. This debate continues
Sick leave: The CPSU NSW would like to see parity with the Academics Agreement on the number of sick days available to all staff
New clause, Cultural and Ceremonial Leave: is still being debated regarding how many days’ leave would be available and will carry over to the next EB meeting
The bargaining teams have agreed on the final draft of the Flex Work arrangements after the identified typos were corrected.
We will be back at the negotiation table with the University on Tuesday 18 September and Wednesday 19.
