TAFE enterprise bargaining agreement approved – June 2016 (PDF version)

Congratulations!

The results of the staff ballot for your new enterprise agreement have been announced with 84% of staff voting Yes.

This Yes vote puts an end to over 12 months of negotiation, which have seen a number of back downs from TAFE’s original proposal rejected by the union and staff in November 2015. This includes:

• Hours of work. TAFE’s original proposal had 80% of staff increasing their weekly hours to 37, for no extra pay. This was then revised to 36.25, before the PSA (CPSU) secured a 35 hour week for all staff. Current 38 hour a week staff will move to 35 hours from January 2017, without a reduction in their weekly wage, and the ability to continue receiving their RDOs.

• Automatic transition to contemporary classification structure. TAFE’s original proposal had staff transitioning to the new classification structure via “restructure”, resulting in 100s of extra restructures throughout TAFE. The PSA (CPSU) secured automatic transition in January of 2017.

• Salary maintenance. Throughout bargaining, TAFE consistently refused to maintain the salary of staff who faced a pay cut in the transition to the new classification structure. This meant that staff faced real cuts to their wages in excess of thousands of dollars. The PSA (CPSU) was able to force TAFE to agree to “red circle” or “maintain the salary” of anyone whose position transfers over at a lower rate.

• An immediate 2.5% pay rise for all staff, followed by a further 2 years of 2.5% pay rises for the majority of staff. In addition, staff moving to a higher pay rate in the new classification structure will have their salary increased in January 2017, as well as any applicable increments every 12 months thereafter.

• Broken shifts. TAFE wanted to extend broken shifts from the current long standing restrictions (available only for security officers) to all staff.

• Permanent Part Year Employment (PPYE). TAFE’s original proposal allowed for an unrestricted number of permanent part year positions, potentially allowing TAFE to convert current full year positions to part year positions via restructure. The PSA (CPSU) won a restriction to the current amount of staff (650) working part year. Part Year Employment will also be limited to certain circumstances where ‘there is genuinely no work across the whole year’. This will be closely monitored at each Institute by the PSA (CPSU) and at the Peak Consultative Committee. The PSA (CPSU) will also closely monitor the use of part year employment to ensure TAFE does not go above the 650 and can justify each PPYE position.

The PSA (CPSU) have forced TAFE to move a long way from their original terrible proposal.

TAFE’s back down only came once members took the dramatic but necessary decision to take Protected Industrial Action. It is only through standing strong together, that these wins were secured.

There are changes in the enterprise agreement, particularly around PPYE and Flexible Working Hours, which will need to be closely monitored by the PSA (CPSU) to ensure that they are implemented in the correct manner.

This is why being a part of strong union is so important, because without the PSA (CPSU) fighting for members, TAFE will try to get way with whatever they can.

Whilst every single member is congratulated on the solidarity displayed to ensure TAFE backed away from their original proposal, special congratulations are due to your Bargaining Team for the dedication they have displayed in standing up for the rights of fellow members.

The negotiations were particularly gruelling and exhaustive, and delegates are required to undertake this work in addition to their normal jobs.

Your Bargaining team is listed below.

Leon Parissi – Sydney

Brook Down – North Coast

Brad Cowie – Illawarra

Christopher Hobbins – Riverina

Glenda Pryor – Western Sydney

Blake Stephens – PSA

Phoebe Dangerfield – PSA

What’s next?

The enterprise agreement will now be signed by the parties and lodged with the Fair Work Commission as soon as possible, with the first 2.5% salary increase payable from 1 July 2016.

The PSA (CPSU) will soon be commencing a number of enterprise agreement information sessions in order to answer any questions staff may have about the implementation of the new agreement. Details will be distributed next month about these sessions.

What can you do?

Speak to non-members about joining the PSA (CPSU). Whilst your union negotiates on behalf of its members, all staff benefit from the PSA (CPSU) negotiating the conditions within your enterprise agreement.

Encourage and assist a colleague to join your union, and we’ll say a collective thanks by giving you a $75 gift card!

Yet more reason to be Proud to be PSA.