Monday 19 December - It's a Wrap!
NTEU UWA (Acting) President Sam Green
It has been a long year for all of us. We’ve had to adjust to “living with COVID” and increasing cost of living pressures, with rising inflation and interest rates. We’ve watched as our neighbours to the east were inundated by a seemingly unending deluge of flooding and tried not to gripe about 3 rainy days in a row. We’ve said goodbye to many colleagues...
Wednesday 30 November - What does management actually want?
NTEU UWA Branch President Sanna Peden
Sanna Peden, Andrew Broertjes and The Workload Creep comparing our log of claims and everything we know about management priorities
The second enterprise bargaining meeting has concluded, and we have reached agreement on many key aspects of the meeting protocols.
We remain far apart on the amount of time release required for the effective and efficient conduct of bargaining. Management wants to limit our preparation time to one hour before each meeting and one hour debrief afterwards...
15 November 2022 - Bargaining has commenced!
NTEU UWA Branch President Sanna Peden
The NTEU bargaining team: Branch committee members Sam Green, Dr Andrew Broertjes, Dr Sanna Peden and Dr Stephen Dobbs with NTEU Industrial Officers Joe Fiala (in the middle) and Wayne Cupido (onscreen)
The NTEU UWA Branch Bargaining team met with management for the first time on Monday 14 November.
The NTEU UWA Branch Log of Claims (LoC) sets out the list of improvements to pay and working conditions we want to achieve at UWA.
This LoC was developed over 18 months in consultation with NTEU members, other UWA staff, and industrial specialists. It has been endorsed by NTEU members and has been presented to management.
Full Log of Claims
Abridged Log of Claims
These are our key areas of concern at UWA:
- Expiry Date: Claims 1 and 2
Fixing clear, definite dates in the new Agreement will prevent delays in future rounds of bargaining
- Job Security: Claims 3-10
UWA staff deserve secure work, whether through protection from sham redundancies and outsourcing; or strong, enforceable rights for conversion from insecure work
- Safe and Sustainable Workloads: Claims 12-17
Workloads must be fair, equitable, safe and sustainable – pure and simple.
- Rights for Casual Staff: Claims 18-28
Casuals are the most marginalised group of staff across the higher education sector. They deserve conditions that protect their jobs, pay, wellbeing and work-life balance.
- Strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment: Claims 29-35
There is still a long way to go to ensure that the university sector is a truly inclusive and supportive place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Setting clear employment targets and appropriate cultural supports are important steps on the way.
- Academic Freedom: Claim 36
Academic freedom is fundamental to academic work. In our last round of bargaining we secured intellectual freedom protections for Professional and General and ELICOS staff, too, and these wins must be protected.
- Equitable Superannuation: Claims 37 and 38
In our last round of bargaining we won 17% super for all UWA staff on fixed term and ongoing contracts (before then you got the national minimum for two years before qualifying for the higher rate). Now it’s time to win better super for casuals.
- Support for Parenting and Breastfeeding: Claims 39-41
UWA once had very competitive entitlements for working parents, but other large employers and industries have overtaken us. It’s time to take the lead again.
- Health, Wellbeing and Work-Life Balance: Claims 42-49
We love our work, but our time with our families, pets and gardens is precious; and our health and wellbeing are essential. It is time for leave entitlements that fit with who we are and how we work.
- Strong Union Rights: Claims 50-55
A strong union is essential to delivering fair pay and good working conditions for all of us at UWA.
- Career Progression and Development: Claims 56-61
Many UWA staff members feel stuck, and want better and clearer career paths within the University and stronger entitlements for professional development.
- Fair & Equitable Allowances: Claims 62-68
Many UWA staff take on extra duties, work unusual hours or do other specialised work that is compensated through allowances – allowances that need to keep up with and be competitive with other industries.
- Procedural Fairness and Transparency: Claims 69-73
UWA staff deserve a say in University decisions, and a fair hearing in times of trouble.
- Fair Pay: Claim 74
Cost of living is out of control, and the University’s recent 2% pay rise just doesn’t cut it.