Staff vote on new enterprise agreement
Two of the three unions with greatest representation of general staff at the University of Queensland have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the University's draft general staff enterprise agreement.
The ballots were held by the Australian Services Union and the Australian Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union. Union officials have advised that over 90 percent of the members who voted were in favour of accepting the draft agreement. A ballot closes later this week for the remaining union with major representation of UQ general staff, the Community and Public Sector Union (SPSFQ Division).
The University offered increases of 2.5 percent in each year of the Agreement. Union negotiators requested re-arrangement of the percentage increases for different Higher Education Worker levels so that lower level staff would be more advantaged. The total, cumulative proposed salary increases range from 10.3 percent at Level 1 to 6.12 percent at Level 9.
Another feature of the draft agreement is the introduction of salary packaging, an arrangement that tends to provide greater benefits to those paying higher marginal tax rates.
University Secretary and Registrar Douglas Porter said if the agreement was accepted by union members, then all general staff at the University would be asked to vote for its acceptance. It was expected that the University would open this ballot on or about August 16 and general staff would have 14 days to respond.
The draft enterprise agreement for general staff is available on the University's website. General staff could expect to receive copies of the ballot papers, of the general staff enterprise agreement offer and explanatory information.
