University of Sydney CPSU NSW Members听March Newsletter
22 March 2024
Here鈥檚 the latest news from the Sydney University听CPSU NSW听union branch.
Workplace Health & Safety听Officer鈥檚 Report
Thanks to one of our members for alerting University management to the possibility of mulch contaminated with asbestos.
Whilst most of the mulch used by University Grounds staff is recycled from trees felled on campus, there are instances where third party sourced mulch is used. One such load was recently identified as a potential risk. Consequently, several garden beds around the university were cordoned off.听 An independent Licensed Asbestos Assessor (LAA) tested samples and cleared the mulch as being free of asbestos.
Over at Fisher Library, one of the four cooling towers on the roof recently returned a positive result for low levels of听Legionella bacteria. Consequently, all four towers were immediately disinfected. Management have since advised that the risk of anyone catching Legionnaire鈥檚 Disease was negligent, although we鈥檇 like to hear from any member that was recently ill and suspects that they had Legionnaire鈥檚 Disease.听The issue of maintenance and testing of cooling towers on campus听has been raised with听university management, and we were assured that the university was conducting regular testing and maintenance as required by legislation.
Another area of workplace safety concern is听outdoor lighting not working. The situation at the听Jane Foss Russell Building听recently had听staff and students听using听phone torches due to the lack of working lights.听A听CPSU听NSW听Branch Delegate reported the issue听by lodging a ticket with Campus Operations Services (COS) through Campus Assist. We were able to follow-up the ticket and were advised by COS that it had been fixed.听Other members have reported lighting not working in other areas of campus such as parking lots etc. We have raised concerns with management that campus outdoor lighting must be maintained as it is necessary from a safety perspective.
If you notice a light that is not working, please report it to COS via Campus Assist. In the event that the outdoor听lighting听is working, but you don鈥檛 consider it adequate, then this may represent a security risk, and it needs to be reported via Riskware. In either situation, let your branch delegate know of any tickets submitted so that we can follow up.
Professional Staff Development Fund
According to the University intranet, the Professional Staff Development Fund听is 鈥渇ocused on creating opportunities and investing in the development of all professional staff. Funding has so far provided support for a number of activities including postgraduate study, short courses, conferences and external secondments.鈥澨If any member has applied for professional development against the USYD Professional Staff Development Fund and has had any difficulty being approved, then please let any of our delegates know so we can investigate.听It鈥檚 not unusual for managers to misunderstand their responsibilities around this fund and we can quickly offer you advice or intercede on your behalf if you want us to.
See:听听for further details
Women鈥檚 Officer Report听听
Just a reminder that subject to available credits, staff may take paid personal leave听staff for menstrual and menopause reasons. This is a right that we fought very hard to be included in the current Enterprise Agreement.
Please reach out to me if you receive any resistance from your manager if you apply for this leave.
Please be aware of the clauses and new additions in the EA and the section on supporting documentation including:
258
- for menstrual or menopausal reasons;
- to access In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and other forms of assisted reproductive health services;
- gender affirmation and transition, to be used after the specific gender transition and affirmation leave is exhausted;
Medical certificate (or other acceptable document)
Supporting documentation* for personal leave, menstrual/menopausal absences, family and domestic violence, IVF/assisted reproductive services and gender affirmation leave (EA 2023 clauses 270 – 271):
| Leave Type | Documentation Required | Notes |
| Personal leave (sick and carers leave) | For single absence of 5 working days or more
If requested and where notified that 5 separate periods of leave had been taken in previous 12 months without providing acceptable documentation. |
Documentation required for 6 months from notification |
| Menstrual/menopausal absences | For single absence of 5 working days or more | |
| Family & Domestic
Violence |
If requested and where notified that 5 separate periods of leave had been taken in previous 12 months without providing acceptable documentation | Documentation required for 6 months from notification |
| IVF & other assisted reproductive services | On first accessing the leave and will cover all future occurrences of less than 5 working days. May be reasonably required to provide further documentation if requested. | |
| Gender affirmation | On first accessing the leave and will cover all future occurrences of less than 5 working days. May be reasonably required to provide further documentation if requested. |
270 c)听The requirements of clause 270(b)(ii)听do not apply for staff accessing menstrual or menopausal absences. Staff will only be required to provide suitable documentation for single absences of five working days or more.
Library Change Process
The Library is currently undergoing a significant change process.
CPSU NSW has many members in the Library – which means that we have been able to hold management to account over the years. Consequently, our strong membership has arguably contributed to a significant difference in the current change process in that the current Library Change Plan does NOT include involuntary redundancies. Whilst members can submit an expression of interest in a voluntary redundancy, the Library will not resort to forced redundancies. Furthermore, positions that are earmarked for redundancy will not be made redundant until the incumbent(s) choose to leave through natural attrition e.g., retirement, resignation, or taking up a new role elsewhere within the university.
Although there are significant concerns around the proposed new Library roles, rest assure that your union will be representing members interests during the consultation process, as well as addressing safety issues that may result from the proposed change. We will continue to make sure that all change processes under the Enterprise Agreement are strictly adhered.
Help us to grow the CPSU NSW in your workplace for better representation and successes.
Employment Conditions You May Not Know
If you believe that you are required to perform duties at a higher HEO classification level than you are employed at, we can assist.
Clauses 158-162 of the Enterprise Agreement allow you to submit a case to the Classification Assessment Team 鈥 an HR function听independent of your management听– to examine your case and judge whether you should be paid at a higher classification level.
Further, clause 154 of the EA stipulates that if you have been performing duties that may not be covered by your position description for six months or more听in the knowledge of your supervisor听such duties will be taken to have been authorised and legitimate, which means that if they are then classified at a higher HEO level,听you are owed backpay at the higher level听for having performed them.
We can advise and assist you to put your case together, so if you have concerns about this, please contact a CPSU NSW delegate to help progress the matter.
Know someone who is not a member of the CPSU NSW?
Ask them to join online听
Want to network with other Professional Staff? You can do so in this private Facebook group.
Stand with us today!
Professional Staff: Worth Every Cent!
Please contact one of our delegates if you have any questions.
University of Sydney CPSU NSW Branch Committee
Vice President
Ruth Livingstone
Assistant Secretary
Lachlan Grant
Membership Registrar
Holly Eades
Work Health and Safety Officer
Peter Adams