The University and the NTEU have reached in-principle agreement on a new academic enterprise agreement.
A final draft is in development and will be distributed to staff together with explanatory material later this month, followed by a ballot to seek staff approval. The new agreement includes provisions covering:
- a 3% salary increase each year for the life of the Agreement. The 2014 payment will be backdated to March;
- the creation of a new Indigenous Pathways Program that will commit over $1 million dollars to support indigenous students to become academics and to create roles for early career indigenous academics
- more flexible access to OSP
- improved clarity in the development, allocation and review of workloads
- creation of 24 new “Scholarly Teaching Fellow” roles which will allow sessional staff the opportunity to move to permanent appointments
- a purchased leave scheme for academic staff and a commitment to develop a deferred salary scheme providing more flexibility to academic staff
- improvements to conditions of work for casual staff
- organ donor leave
- access to leave and other support for staff experiencing domestic violence
- a broader role for the Macquarie University Consultative Committee in policy development and review in a number of areas
In addition to the above, the agreement maintains all existing rights and conditions for academic staff.
It is our view that it is a fair and reasonable agreement in the current environment. It is in line with other outcomes in this round of bargaining, maintaining pay relativities and parity with other universities in the sector, and maintains the University’s status as an attractive place to work.
Tim Sprague, HR Director and Cathy Rytmeister, President NTEU, Macquarie Branch