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. 

Dear Michael - An open letter to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Sydney

From 9 days off to 8 is that really a win?

By Preview_H. Flickr

 Last Friday we all received the follow email from Anne Dwyer stating that: 

Colleagues,
I refer to the previous announcement to staff regarding Christmas leave (HR Director, 21 Sept)  which advised the University would close on 24th December and re-open on the 31st  December. This decision was taken to optimise the break period for staff when combining  the public holidays and the 3 University closure days and resulted in an uninterrupted break of 9 days.

As a courtesy, the University contacted both the CPSU and the NTEU to inform them of the changed arrangements for Christmas close-down.  I am advised that the CSPU, on behalf of its members, responded in support of this action.

The NTEU, however, held a different view and informed the University of a dispute in relation to the close-down arrangements.  The NTEU position is that the University should open on 24 December and close until 31st December, which provides a continuous closure period of 8 days.  The University had hoped the NTEU would be more flexible and prepared to consider alternative arrangements.  Regrettably that has not been the case and the University does not wish to expend further resources disputing the matter.

Accordingly, the University will amend the arrangements as follows:

Monday 24 December - University open (staff may take leave)

Tuesday 25 December - Tuesday 1 January (inclusive)-  University closed

Staff who have leave already approved over this period or who have already applied to take 31 December as a leave day will not be required to resubmit a leave application as the system will make the adjustment automatically. 

Staff who are planning their leave arrangements, but have not yet submitted their leave request will need to be mindful of the changed arrangements set out above.

Regards

Anne Dwyer

May 2012 pay rise UTS

Your delegates distributed this flyer throughout UTS reminding staff of the importance of the Support Staff Enterprise Agreement for our conditions of employment.