National Health and Medical Research Council bargaining update

• 3% pay increase to be achieved by your agreement starting one month before normal expiry in order to enable maximum pay increase under current government policy
• Redeployment, reduction and retirement financial advice figure to go up from $450 to $500
• Single day travel allowance to go up from $40 to $44
  
• Retention of consultative provisions safeguarding employee rights
• Reimbursement for child care for school age children during school holidays upon recall for duty no longer has a dollar limit, providing costs are reasonable

Why a 3% pay increase?

The government has put in place a policy called the Australian Government Employment Bargaining Framework. The framework specifies that new agreements must end on 30 June 2011 and effectively instructs agencies that the maximum pay increase they can offer is 3% pa unless they undertake rigorous productivity offsets.

Your agreement was to expire 6 September 2010. The CPSU and your management have agreed to end the agreement early in order for a new agreement to start from 1 July 2010 to enable employees to access the maximum 3% pay rise under the formula.

To enable the agreement to go ahead and not risk cutting into the pay rise, negotiations are progressing on a tight timetable. We will need to put an offer to members by 7 May.

Issues the CPSU is still working on

• When the pay offer will take effective - upon commencement (1 July) or a month after (6 August)
• Improved access for time off in lieu for ELs
• Part time for 5 years (currently 2 years) on return from maternity/parental/adoption leave

Where to from here?

Once your negotiating team has put together an offer, we will put this to members for an endorsement vote. Due to time limitations, should members wish to vote no in order to continue negotiations this will mean the pay increase will reduce in accordance with government policy and the formula used to project 3% given that all agreements now end on 30 June 30 2011.

CPSU negotiators are continuing to work to achieve acceptable outcomes.

What will happen after 2011 – A Better Way to Bargain

The CPSU is campaigning for a better way to bargain from 2011 to achieve pay equity across the Australian Public Service (equal pay for work of equal value) and real pay rises for all employees. Find out more here.

Membership

CPSU membership gives you access to experienced and confidential advice about your working conditions, discounts on many consumer items, referral to legal advice and support to achieve decent conditions in the workplace. Membership is tax deductible. Click here to join online.