CPSU NSW secure 2.5% pay deal with GEO
10 September 2018
CPSU NSW bargaining representatives have reached in-principle agreement on a 2.5% pay deal for Parklea Correctional Officers ahead of next year鈥檚 transition to a new operator.
The new pay deal, on par with the NSW public sector, also maintains all existing conditions under a one-year enterprise agreement and improves on the company鈥檚 original offer of 2%.
CPSU NSW Senior Industrial Officer, Thane Pearce, said 鈥渋t鈥檚 been a tremendously difficult negotiation given GEO were excluded from the NSW Government鈥檚 tendering process for the facility.鈥
鈥淚n effect, GEO are winding-up their business here, and have a commercial interest to minimise any future liability.鈥
鈥淭he current law didn鈥檛 help us either, by making it possible to terminate the current agreement on expiry, potentially stripping conditions and placing employees on the modern award minimum.鈥
鈥淗ad the company鈥檚 first proposal of 2% been accepted it would have meant a cut in real wages, with inflation at 2.1% for the March quarter.鈥
鈥淭o get GEO to 2.5% in this context, with room for real wage growth and without trading-off conditions, is a substantial achievement and one the CPSU bargaining team is comfortable recommending to members,鈥 Thane said.
What happens next?
Before the CPSU NSW formally endorses GEO鈥檚 offer we need to hear from you. Click here to view a copy of the proposed agreement
As a democratic union, CPSU NSW members have a chance to vote on whether our union endorses or rejects the company鈥檚 offer.
The CPSU NSW bargaining team, including Thane Pearce and delegates Brian Kirk and Mark Ward are recommending you VOTE YES and endorse the package.
If a majority of members vote yes, we will write to GEO to formally endorse their offer and invite them to conduct an all staff ballot (that is, all staff covered by the proposed agreement) to make the agreement. GEO will provide further detail on this aspect of the process.
If a majority of members vote no, we will advise GEO that their offer has been rejected by the CPSU NSW and we will seek to recommence bargaining.
Click to vote in the CPSU NSW member ballot. You鈥檒l need your membership number (above) to vote. Voting will close at 4:00pm on Thursday, 13 September.
For further information, contact Brian Kirk, Mark Ward (at Parklea) or Thane Pearce at the CPSU NSW on
1800 772 679.
United we Bargain, Divided we Beg!