Management had a big bargaining win in November -it’s now a loss

CDU staff backed management’s proposed enterprise agreement, which was fiercely opposed by the National Tertiary Education Union (CMM November 21).

But the union questioned whether the agreement was genuinely adopted and the Fair Work Commission decided it wasn’t.

The problem is the university let fixed term contract staff vote, who were not employed on the days of the ballot – and if all 150 of them voted for the agreement, without their votes the win was invalid.

“On that basis, I do not believe that the proposed agreement has been genuinely agreed within the meaning of the … Act,” Commissioner Platt concluded.

CDU now assures staff that the pay rise already passed on will continue and points out that 63 per cent of staff voted for the agreement.

“We are carefully considering our next steps, which may include an appeal,” VC Scott Bowman says.