People and Culture

• Announcements
• Information Sessions
• Vote
• La Trobe University Collective Agreement 2009
• Summaries of Proposed Agreement
• Questions

Agreement ratified: joint La Trobe/NTEU announcement  

Details of the in principle agreement announced on 9 October 2009

We are very pleased to announce that La Trobe University and the NTEU have reached in principle agreement for a new collective agreement (subject to formal ratification by the NTEU , CPSU and LHMU). The new agreement provides the flexibility and structure necessary to support the achievement of the University's strategic plan while also delivering tangible benefits which our staff value.

The La Trobe University Collective Agreement 2009 will provide to La Trobe staff:

• A 16% pay increase over four years. In addition to the 2% increase from 4 July 2009, there will be a further 2% increase, backdated to 29 August 2009, plus 4% pay increases in July 2010, July 2011 and June 2012.
• Improved employment continuity for many fixed term contract staff (academic and general) whose positions are funded by contingent funding and are in research only roles (or positions which directly support those roles), with automatic conversion for these staff to a research continuing contract of employment without the need for a formal application for staff who have at least 4 years continuous service and who are to be appointed on a further contract of at least 6 months duration.
• Payment for all sessional marking that forms part of the formal assessment for the subject or course, other than marking undertaken during a lecture, tutorial or clinical session.
• An increase to 36 weeks paid maternity leave for staff with more than 24 months continuous service whose leave commences on or after 1 January 2010.
• At least 20 Early Career Development Fellowships, which will allow academic staff who have previously been engaged on a casual basis to gain special fixed term contracts.
• A target reduction of 5% of the number of casual staff active on our payroll between 31 August 2009 and 31 August 2012.
• 25% casual staff loading from first pay period after 1 January 2010.
• New provisions on a broad range of employment issues including workloads, workplace culture and discrimination, flexibility arrangements, intellectual freedom, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment strategy, flexibility arrangements, environmental sustainability, dispute settling procedures, classifications, co-ordination responsibility payments for academic staff, grievance procedures, fixed term contracts, union rights and resources, managing change, redeployment and job security.

The achievement of this negotiated agreement reflects sustained hard work by the bargaining teams of the University and the NTEU . The negotiations, while sometimes challenging, have been characterised by mutual respect. We congratulate the bargaining teams on their hard work and persistence.

Before the agreement can be implemented a number of steps are required. The NTEU , CPSU and LHMU will take the agreement to their formal ratification processes. Information sessions presented jointly by La Trobe and the NTEU on the new agreement will be held soon on all campuses. We encourage you to attend these presentations and also to review the draft agreement and the summaries of key provisions, which will be available after the formal ratification on the University and NTEU La Trobe Branch http://www.nteu.org.au/latrobe websites. All staff, including casual staff (but not including any staff of La Trobe University International College, who are covered by a separate agreement, Deputy Vice Chancellors or the Vice Chancellor), will be eligible to vote for the agreement. Details of the voting process will be provided soon. The vote is likely to take place in November or December. For the agreement to be passed, a majority must vote "yes".

After the agreement is approved by staff, it will be submitted to Fair Work Australia for approval. The agreement commences when approval is given.

If you have questions about the agreement or the voting process, please email eba-feedback@latrobe.edu.au .

Regards

Professor Paul Johnson Virginia Mansell-Lees Matthew McGowan
Vice Chancellor President Secretary
La Trobe University NTEU La Trobe Branch NTEU Victorian Division

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NTEU is the National Tertiary Education Union

CPSU is the Community and Public Sector Union

LHMU is the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union

Vote

An online ballot will be conducted on 9am on Monday 23 November 2009 until 5pm on Friday 27 November 2009.  You will not be able to lodge your vote before or after these dates and times.  

Internet access is required to vote. Please either go to www.computershare.com.au/latrobe or by clicking on the vote button;

 

The ballot will be secure and confidential.  A majority 'yes' vote is required for the agreement to be approved by staff.  The agreement will then be lodged with Fair Work Australia for approval.  The agreement will commence 7 days after Fair Work Australia has approved the agreement.

Staff ineligible to vote are:

• Contractors, agents and other non-employees (often referred to as CONAGOTHS)
• Staff at La Trobe University International College
• Deputy Vice-Chancellors
• Vice-Chancellors.

All other staff, including casual staff (being general staff who have worked within the last three months, and academic staff who have worked since the start of semester 1 2009) and staff who are on leave or on Outside Studies Program (OSP), are eligible to vote.

If you do not have access to the internet, please email eba-feedback@latrobe.edu.au and access will be arranged.

If you have any queries about the vote eba-feedback@latrobe.edu.au .

If you have difficulties lodging your vote please phone 1800 850 505. or email eba-feedback@latrobe.edu.au .

 

Questions

If you have any questions on the new EBA, please email eba-feedback@latrobe.edu.au.