Management lost a big bargaining win when the Fair Work Commission ruled against it

In November CDU won a staff vote for an enterprise agreement offer that the National Tertiary Education Union bitterly opposed. Management offered a payrise below the union demand and did not address workplace conditions the comrades considered crucial (CMM November 21).

But the Fair Work Commission ruled the vote invalid because it turned out casual staff who should not have been were on the electoral roll (CMM January 27).

And so the National Tertiary Education Union tells VC Scott Bowman that it is keen to start negotiating a new agreement, “that addresses the key workplace issues identified by NTEU members.”

To which Professor Bowman responds,

“we know that 63 per cent of staff voted in favour of the agreement we put forward in November, and we have already passed on the 4 per cent pay rise and sign-on payment” Varying the offer based on a ruling that disadvantages casuals does not seem fair.

We are in the process of studying the ruling in detail and getting external advice.”