University of Sydney staff to tear up AWAs

General staff at the University of Sydney are holding a tear-up-your-AWA-action today (28 September) between 12:45-2:15 PM to protest against the Federal Government’s attack on the rights of over 4500 university General Staff.

The protest will send a clear message to Vice-Chancellor Gavin Brown and the Federal Government that General Staff prefer their Union Collective Agreement negotiated by the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU).

The action, organised by the CPSU, will be combined with a BBQ and speeches commencing at 1pm on the Isabel Fidler Lawns on the corner of Manning Rd and Fisher Rd.

"The CPSU negotiated a pre-Work Choices Union Agreement for General Staff at the University of Sydney, protecting all entitlements from Federal Government attacks and including a 14% pay rise", said CPSU State Branch Secretary John Cahill.

"If staff sign an AWA they stand to lose over 50% of their rights under the union agreement, including paid parental leave and sick leave," he said. "These AWAs are a disaster for anyone with a family, a mortgage or who has the misfortune to become seriously ill."

"The union agreement offers higher pay than the AWA over its life, as well as protecting key conditions that would not be enforced in the AWA."

Sydney University CPSU President, Ralph Halden, said: "Sydney University is actively seeking to lure staff away from the safety of the union agreement onto AWAs with inferior conditions. But General Staff won't be conned into trading off their rights. That's why we have decided to publicly tear up the AWAs today."