Another 1.5% Payrise courtesy of your CPSU colleagues

Dear Colleague

The 1.5% pay rise in you're getting this month - the second this year - was achieved through the work of CPSU members at UTS, and the staff that the Union employs. The CPSU achieved this and previous pay rises after long negotiations for a collective agreement that delivered a range of key improvements in staff conditions of employment, such as:

• Genuine 3% per annum pay increase.
• Five days leave for victims of domestic violence
• Extension of paid parental leave benefits to another carer if the birth mother is unable to care for the child.
• Up to eight weeks concurrent parental leave now available for partners.

 At a national level, the government’s agenda for deregulation of Higher Education has been delayed but not abandoned. Senator Birmingham and Mr Turnbull remain committed to fee deregulation and creating a free market in higher education market, despite all the evidence demonstrating that this will not work. The outcome will be diminished standards, and a system where capacity to pay not merit will determine university and course choice. Our ongoing role as a union is to scrutinise any proposals and their potential impact and keep talking and lobbying the senators. The CPSU will continue to work with students and other organisations to oppose these unfair changes, and your support would be greatly welcomed.

Our current collective agreements expire next May. CPSU members will be campaigning for further improvements in pay and conditions. Our number one priority will be job security. We will seek improved casual and fixed term conversion provisions, more ongoing jobs and improved conditions for casual and fixed term contract staff. We will also seek fairer and more transparent performance review processes and the prohibition of forced redundancies in restructures.

Whether we are able to secure these provisions depends on how many UTS staff like you get on board and support the union’s work. Don’t leave your colleagues to carry that load on their own. For more information on how you can play your part, reply to this email or ph. 9514 9850.

Union fees cost are fully tax deductable. This salary increase alone delivers 1.5% and there is a total increase of 12.35% over the life of this Agreement.

If you have any questions about the CPSU UTS Branch, please contact us via http://psa.asn.au/uts/  

• Now more than ever it is vital for UTS Professional staff to join together to stand up for your rights, if you are not already a member join today
• (https://membership.psa.asn.au/join/)

Kind regards,
Rosa Bow

Branch President
CPSU Union University Professional Staff

P: 9514 9850

For more information contact the CPSU UTS Branch.