UNSW Professional Staff Enterprise Bargaining: CPSU NSW settlement
31 May 2023
CPSU NSW Settlement Proposal for Professional Staff Enterprise Agreement
The CPSU NSW UNSW Bargaining Team hosted an all-member meeting on 22 May 2023 to discuss the university’s pay offer and a counteroffer in an effort to settle negotiations for the separate Professional Staff Enterprise Agreement (EA).
At this meeting the membership agreed that the university’s offer was inadequate, and unanimously endorsed the following counteroffer, which was put to UNSW shortly after:
| Year increase effective | UNSW Offer – each rise in July | CPSU NSW
Counter |
Difference | CPSU NSW
Counter incl Scheduling |
| On approval (2023) | 5.0% | 6.0% | +1.0% | 6.0% |
| 2024 | 3.5% | 4.0% | +0.5% | 2% Jan; 2% Jul |
| 2025 | 3.5% | 4.0 % | +0.5% | 2% Jan; 2% Jul |
| 2026 | 4.0% | 4.0% | +0.0% | 2% Jan; 2% Jul |
| TOTAL | 16% | 18% | +2% |
The CPSU NSW membership believes this counteroffer is a fair and equitable proposal accounting for the extended duration of the proposed EA as put by UNSW as expiring in December 2026, and the lack of meaningful administrative pay increases during prolonged enterprise bargaining.
We look forward to hearing the university’s response at the next meeting on 1 June 2023.
Settlement Offer – in-principle agreement on clauses
The CPSU NSW has settled the following clauses in-principle with the university, subject to drafting:
- Professional Staff Workloads
- On-call Arrangements and Allowances
- Gender Affirmation Leave
- Requests for Flexible Work Arrangements
- Sick Leave – medical evidence amendments
- Workplace Change and Redundancy
- Intellectual Freedom
- Union Rights
- Dispute Resolution Procedures
- The Right to Disconnect
- Cashing Out Annual Leave
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employment
In exchange for reaching settlement, CPSU NSW members have asked the university to withdraw its claims on the following:
- Opening up individual flexibility agreements with no restrictions
- Allowing superannuation to be cashed out
CPSU NSW members may be aware of industrial action occurring this week. After almost 20 months of negotiations, the CPSU NSW bargaining team believe we are close to settling an agreement. In the current circumstances, we believe that the significant cost to our members of foregoing pay would outweigh any potential benefits of industrial action.
Your CPSU NSW UNSW Team
Alister Wareing Branch President
Ellie Williams Branch Secretary
Liam O’Donoghue Delegate
Michael Cope Industrial Officer
Community and Public Sector Union (NSW Branch)
What can you do?
- Give a copy of this bulletin to your colleagues.
- Print this bulletin and put it up on your notice board.
- Ask a colleague to join the CPSU NSW
- Get involved as your Area Contact
- Become a CPSU Delegate
- Not a member? Join online
