ADFA Agreement delivers strong work/life result for Staff

Australian Manufacturing Worker Union (AMWU) and Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) members at the Australian Defence Force Academy Canberra (ADFA) have voted to approve an enterprise agreement with a range of work/life initiatives.

This is the second agreement finalised in the current round of University bargaining negotiations

AMWU delegate Mr. Jim Baxter welcomes the agreement saying, "Our members believe the agreement will deliver a good balance of pay and conditions, and delivers on the majority of the unions joint log of claims"

CPSU delegate Mr. Phil Berrie said: "The AMWU and CPSU have played an important role in ensuring that staff at ADFA now will enjoy benchmark conditions in accommodating work and family. The agreement represents the type of flexibility and family friendly focus the unions seek to deliver across the sector."

The agreement delivers a 14 % pay increase over 3 years for general staff, plus $500 at certification. This will mean increases of 15.7% to 18.3% over the three-year agreement.

The main family friendly provisions are:

• 14 weeks paid Maternity leave (up from 12 weeks) and Adoption leave with no qualifying period and half-pay option of 28 weeks
• Two weeks paid and 50 weeks unpaid Partner leave
• Up to three weeks paid Foster Parent leave
• Access to part-time work on return to work following maternity leave
• Family care allowance for additional childcare where an employee is required to travel
• Public holidays to be paid while on parental leave
• Provision to take parental leave at half pay or as a lump sum
• Paid parental leave for fixed term and casual employees
• Flexible work arrangements including part time and fractional work, job sharing and flex time
• Up to four weeks "purchased" annual leave
• 20 days per year (cumulative) paid Personal Circumstances leave including sickness, carers, moving house, funerals and religious/cultural obligation
• Unlimited paid and unpaid miscellaneous leave including participation in sporting events and emergency services

The agreement also provides:

• Casual loading to be increased to 23% by 2006
• Conversion of long-term casual employees to ongoing employment
• An Indigenous Australian Employment committee to be established with union representation
• Part time employees to have access to Higher Duties Allowance
• Reasonable hours provisions including limits on workloads, working hours and the right to refuse overtime
• Provisions to train and redeploy displaced staff
• Outsourcing proposals have to receive union agreement

Contacts:
Canberra: Sonia Terpstra, Industrial Officer (AMWU), 0419 403 848
Sydney: Andrew Holland, A/Senior Industrial Officer (CPSU), 0418 236 867