After almost a year of tough negotiations and strong campaigning, your CPSU negotiating team is pleased to announce that a draft agreement has been finalised and will be recommended to members.
What happened?
At a last ditch meeting in Canberra this week, CSA management agreed to
backdate the first pay rise from 1 March 2008 and pay a one-off $200 bonus to
compensate for delays. The 1 March date of effect and new bonus means the same
money for members as a 15 January date of effect.
The new $200 bonus will be paid along side the previously agreed $300
training bonus. This means staff will receive $500 when the agreement is lodged.
Importantly, the 1 March ‘date of effect’ means that regardless of how long
management approval processes take, staff will be paid from 1 March.
Overall, the new agreement delivers a 12% increase over three years (6 %
payable in the first 4 months), as well as 0.5% in July 2009 and 0.5% in July
2010 if agreed corporate outcomes are achieved. On top of this staff will also
be eligible for a further $600 training bonus in August 2008, upon completion of
relevant Scheme Reform training. On balance your negotiators believe that we
have delivered a fair and reasonable outcome.
How did it happen?
The final shift by CSA management was the direct result of member pressure
and activity. Don’t forget that CSA’s first draft agreement sought to strip many
entitlements from the agreement and place them into unenforceable policy. Thanks
to the ongoing support of CPSU members in workplace around the country, the new
agreement retains all your entitlements.
What happens next?
While your negotiators have given their in-principle agreement, it will be up
to members in CSA to decide if the agreement will be endorsed by the CPSU. We
will be running paid time meetings for all staff in all sites shortly to explain
the detail of the agreement and to run a ballot seeking member’s endorsement. At
the same time CSA will be commencing their internal approval processes and
preparing for an all staff ballot.
Q: Who made it happen? A: CPSU members
This has been a long and challenging set of negotiations and members have
demonstrated fantastic support your union negotiators. In particular, your
elected reps Phil Burrows and Emma White deserve our praise and respect for
their tireless efforts.
Not yet a member?
Every CSA staff member who joins the union increases our combined bargaining
power. We are stronger together. Supporting the union negotiations is great but
membership matters. If you are thinking about joining, please contact us to find
out how. Call 1300 137 636, join securely
online or see your CPSU delegate.
