Monday, 4 December 2023
CPSU NSW update: TAFE NSW Administrative Enterprise Agreement access period
Voting on your new Enterprise Agreement
The CPSU NSW has been advised by TAFE NSW the access period – the seven-day timespan in which employees covered by the proposed Enterprise Agreement (EA) are provided access to the agreement and documents – is due to commence this week.
The CPSU NSW believes the new EA is a significant improvement on the current agreement and encourages all members to endorse at vote.
The proposed TAFE Commission of NSW Administrative, Support and Related Employees Enterprise Agreement 2023 sees a range of improvements from the 2022 EA, including but not limited to:
- Flex Time A guaranteed minimum accrual of 15 minutes per day, without TAFE being able to issue a direction to prevent accrual
- Personal/Carers’ Leave Bringing sick and carers leave in line with the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) in structure – no loss of entitlements
- Parental Leave An overhauled clause providing additional supports for surrogacy and adoption-related processes
- Medical Evidence Clarified and improved
- Consultation Changed to Managing Workplace Change and Consultation with improved processes and clarity
- Conversion rights for temporary and casual staff
- Individual Flexibility Requests In line with Section 65 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) with additional benefits
- Higher Duties clause Clarification and improvement on process
- Lactation Breaks Time restrictions removed completely
- Union Rights Improved benefits including access to CPSU NSW online material
- Amendments to Annual Leave, FACS Leave and Disaster Leave
- On-call By consent in the first instance with the minimum payment of 24 hours’ worth of allowance despite however long an employee is on-call
Pay
Despite several disappointing representations by TAFE NSW, the below pay schedule is confirmed to be paid subject to the above:
- A one-off payment equivalent to 1 per cent of the employee’s salary for the period 1 July 2023-18 September 2023
- A pay increase, back paid, of 4 per cent from 18 September 2023
TAFE NSW has indicated its intention to pay the pay rises and backpay after the EA is voted up, not upon approval by the Fair Work Commission. We expect this to be by 21 December 2023.
