Your pay offer is a pay CUT in real terms 

The RBA has predicted that inflation will rise to 8% by the end of the year. The cost of living is high. 
 
The pay offer your employer is currently proposing will mean that the average full time CDU employees annual pay will DECLINE by 5.17% in real terms by mid-2025. This is a pay CUT of $8,314 for a Level C Academic, or $5,435 for a level 7 professional staff member.  
 

Did you hear...? 

 
University of Tasmania recently provided their staff 4.6% pay rise without even needing to negotiate. Western Sydney University agreed to pay staff 13.45% over the life of their agreement. Australian Catholic University staff just been given a 14.55% pay rise over the span of their staff agreement. 
 

Your employer's proposed agreement will REDUCE your job security through  

 Removal of rights 

Management is wanting to remove any opportunity for an appeal if your employment is terminated under breach of contract. 
 

 Working from home is not fairly supported 

Throughout the last few years, many of us have learned the benefits of hybrid working environments and it has been crucial to feel supported by our employer to have a home and office balance. Your employer is offering a maximum of 20% working from home arrangement which equates to one day per week. Under their proposal, you will only be entitled to this if your manager approves your request. You will also be required to cover ALL costs of setting up your home office with no support from your employer. 
 

 Removal of an independent review process 

Under management's proposed agreement, if management deems your performance as unsatisfactory, or there has been misconduct, CDU management want to remove your rights to an independent review. This will result in all reviews being conducted internally by Senior Executive staff only, this would be who has the last say on your future at CDU.

 Unlimited restructures

Your employers wants unlimited restructures. Given the number of restructures that have already occurred within CDU, management is wanting to have no limitation on the number of restructures or change managements within the agreement period. This reduce job security and puts you at risk of continued redundancies.

I’m casually employed, why should I vote NO

 Bare minimum superannuation 

Your employer is offering the bare minimum superannuation of 10.5%. To secure your future and keep up with the rising cost of living, we have proposed 17%.  This is the standard across your industry. 
 

 No sick leave pay 

The last two years have been tough on everyone. Now more than ever, we need to support staff who require sick leave.  Your employer is not offering any sick leave for casual staff. If you are unwell and need to take time off, you will not be paid. 

 Reduced opportunity for casuals 

Management has refused a pathway for casuals to convert to ongoing employment. Instead, they are pushing for the legal minimum where you must be doing the same job for six months in a regular pattern of hours. This is unsuitable for university casuals.  
 

I’m employed as a professional staff member, why should I vote NO? 

 Removal of an independent review process 

Under management's proposed agreement, if management deems your performance as unsatisfactory, or there has been misconduct, CDU management want to remove your rights to an independent review. This will apply to all staff. This will result in all reviews being conducted internally by Senior Executive staff only, this would be who has the last say on your future at CDU. 
 

 Your employer wants unlimited restructures 

Given the number of restructures that have occurred already within CDU, management is wanting to have no limitation on the number of restructures or change managements within the agreement period. This reduces job security across all staff and puts you at risk of continued redundancies. 

 Your employer wants to make redundancy easier with a shorter redeployment 

Previously, redeployment would require a 6-month lead-time, however your employer is wanting to reduce this time to only 12 weeks with the requirement that you make a decision within 10 days of the notice of termination. This will severely reduce your opportunity to transfer to a similar job at the same pay rate and it will also increase the chance of being terminated.  

 

I’m going to vote NO to the proposed agreement by CDU, what next?

By voting NO, it will cause your employer to reconsider their offer and work towards an agreement on your conditions with union members. It is time to shape your future for the better by voting NO. 
 
We know how important a pay rise is right now. After a NO Vote, the union will work together to bring you an offer that reflects staff’s needs. 

We encourage you to fill out your details on this page so that we can give you a call and answer any questions you have! 

Management is being reasonable/the union is being unreasonable

We have met in good faith with management. What we have asked for is what staff at other universities have achieved. In the end we could not come to agreement on important issues like pay and job security. We have asked management for an admin pay rise and to come back to the negotiating table. They have refused.

What happens if we vote NO?

Your current conditions remain in place until a new agreement is negotiated. We’re asking staff to vote no and tell management to come back to the negotiating table to negotiate a deal that is fair for everyone.

Will management be informed if I vote NO? Will this impact my employment?

No. This is a secret ballot. The employer will know how many people voted yes and no but not who voted or HOW they voted.

Our management has told us if we vote NO, there will be redundancies. I’m scared that we will lose staff by voting no

As you may be aware, management are currently planning restructures at CDU. The proposed staff agreement will water down your rights to job security. CDU have strong financials and should not need to make staff redundant.

Why is the Union pushing for 5% when CDU management have said they can’t afford it?

CDU is in a good financial position. They have a structural surplus of at least 4.8% ($16millon). CDU have enough money to invest in air-conditioned outdoor basketball courts. In the last 5 years their revenue has gone up and costs have gone down. In large part this is because student numbers have increased