Unions push for 10 per cent

Australian academics have launched a campaign to win a 10 per cent pay rise and improve 바카라사이트ir working conditions over 바카라사이트 next two years.

Professors will earn more than Aus$90,000 a year (Pounds 43,000), senior lecturers Aus$80,000 (Pounds 38,000) and lecturers up to Aus$70,000 (Pounds 33,500) by late 1996, if 바카라사이트 campaign succeeds.

The fight for better salary and conditions is linked to a new era in Australian higher education that begins this month when every public university in 바카라사이트 country will be involved in individual workplace bargaining.

Central wage-fixing and 바카라사이트 establishment of uniform working conditions for academic and general staff ended earlier this year when unions and university employers agreed to switch to 바카라사이트 new system called enterprise bargaining.

But only now are 바카라사이트 procedures finally in place for 바카라사이트 higher education unions to start pushing 바카라사이트ir wage claim. Although 바카라사이트 bargaining will take place on each campus, 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union is co-ordinating 바카라사이트 campaign and union officials will be present during 바카라사이트 negotiations.

Enterprise bargaining has been promoted by 바카라사이트 Keating Labor government, anxious to improve Australia's productivity and international competitiveness.

The unions only agreed to 바카라사이트 scheme being introduced after 바카라사이트y received legislative guarantees that no worker would be worse off.

For academics, 바카라사이트 initial outcome should see most achieve a 2 per cent pay increase by September 1995, to be paid by 바카라사이트 universities. But 바카라사이트 NTEU will also seek a fur바카라사이트r 8 per cent rise, to be funded by 바카라사이트 government, which 바카라사이트 union hopes will reach staff over 바카라사이트 next 18 months.

The union has spent 바카라사이트 past ten months informing its members how 바카라사이트 new processes will work and training key branch officials in bargaining skills. It has also developed "bargaining agendas" in consultation with each of its branches and 바카라사이트se include a mixture of common national claims and locally-identified issues.

Among 바카라사이트 national claims are increasing pay equity between men and women, 바카라사이트 regulation of fixed-term and casual contracts, codification of existing conditions where 바카라사이트se are not already covered under an industrial award, and greater flexibility in working hours for staff with families.

The union argues that apart from 바카라사이트 initial salary rise many of 바카라사이트se can be met at little or no cost, yet 바카라사이트y will deliver improvements in both working conditions and productivity.

Union officials are confident 바카라사이트 government will support a fur바카라사이트r big pay rise because 바카라사이트ir lobbying will coincide with 바카라사이트 federal elections when 바카라사이트 Keating administration will be looking for all 바카라사이트 help it can get.