University of New England agreement sets sector standards

Last Friday University of New England (UNE) staff voted overwhelmingly to approve a new agreement to cover General Staff and English Language Centre Teachers.

This is the first Agreement in a NSW university that has been officially voted on by staff with 83 per cent endorsing the Agreement.

The Agreement gives a 17% compounded pay increase over three years and returns to staff conditions that were stripped out under the WorkChoices laws, including limits on the use of fixed term contracts (i.e. the HECE Award provisions) and comprehensive union rights.

The other main provisions are:

1. Uncapped Sick Leave
2. 5 weeks annual leave
3. 26 weeks paid Parental Leave and 2 weeks paid Partner Leave
4. Comprehensive classification procedures
5. Reasonable hours provisions including limits on workloads, working hours and the right to refuse overtime
6. Increased superannuation and severance pay for fixed term employees
7. Paid Shutdown provisions
8. The ability to buy up to four weeks extra Annual Leave
9. Access to part-time work on return to work following maternity leave.

An application will be made to Fair Work Australia this week to approve the new Agreement.

"When this Agreement is made not only will it deliver significant benefits to general staff it will also place the final nail in the coffin of the Howard Government's WorkChoices laws in the university sector," CPSU Senior Industrial Officer Andrew Holland said.