Staff agreed to defer a pay-rise but there’s a problem with the agreement’s wording

The Fair Work Commission is having a look at the way James Cook U worded an enterprise agreement variation to defer a pay-rise due this month. Staff agreed but the campus branch of the National Tertiary Education Union argued that the EAV was badly worded to the extent that the rise need not be paid when the deferment ended (CMM September 25).

So, staff are being paid the increase – as the FWC considers whether the agreement as written should stand. The university was hoping for a decision Thursday (CMM October 1). Which did not happen, “so we will all have to wait a little longer to know what the next steps are in managing the deficit in 2020 and 2021 and saving 70 jobs critical to the Northern Queensland economy,” VC Sandra Harding told staff Friday.