Higher Education

Enterprise Bargaining

Sydney Uni members

Defeat Abbott's Harsh Agenda

A landmark enterprise bargaining agreement which sets new industry standards has been reached between the University of Sydney and the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) (SPSF Branch), with members to receive a $1000 sign on bonus on top of a competitive 19.4% payrise. This means the University of Sydney will be the first to sign an agreement since the Federal Government's interference in Enterprise Bargaining last year.

The CPSU is the largest general staff union in the country and represents over 500 members at the University of Sydney. University Management and the CPSU were ready to reach agreement in September 2003, when negotiations abruptly halted with the release of Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott's higher education workplace funding requirement.

Federal Secretary of the CPSU, David Carey said
Members at Sydney University defeated the harsh, intrusive workplace reform agenda and we now have an Agreement that sets a range of new benchmarks across the whole industry on matters such as maternity leave, casual loading, and union rights.
The agreement includes new landmark parental leave provisions that build on our achievements at the Australian Catholic University. The CPSU has secured 14 weeks' fully paid maternity leave, followed by 38 weeks at 60 percent pay.
This is three times the current entitlement at the University, and way ahead of the general workforce's legal requirement of a year's unpaid maternity leave.

The maternity leave package provides greater flexibility than any previously. Women can opt to return to work instead and put the money designated for their leave towards career development opportunities, or use it to fund a full time pay load while working part time.

The Agreement also provides for a 25 percent casual loading which is 2% above the proposed national award settlement of 23% and almost 4% above the current entitlement of 21.8%.

General meetings of CPSU members will be held across all campuses of the university in the week beginning February 9, 2004.

© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/latest_news/higher_ed/20040204_EBA.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005