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First bargaining meeting sets course for timely negotiations

First bargaining meeting sets course for timely negotiations

Staff Association representatives met with CSIRO senior management yesterday to determine the path forward for negotiations for a new enterprise agreement.

All bargaining representatives committed to fortnightly meetings and prompt consideration of issues that will be raised to develop the agreement.

The next negotiation meeting will be held on 27 November 2019.

What you’ve said the issues are

Thank you to all members for responding to our bargaining issues survey. The survey will form the basis of the Staff Association’s bargaining position. So far you have told us that some of the most important issues to you are:

  • A timely agreement, with no delays to the first pay rise, which will be due just after the nominal expiry date of the current agreement, 14 November 2020;
  • Fair and reasonable pay and superannuation, including choice of superannuation fund;
  • No loss of conditions from the agreement, including into policy;
  • Strengthening indefinite employment as the standard form of employment in CSIRO; and
  • Equitable entitlement and access to parental leave.

The Staff Association will be communicating more detail on the bargaining position with members in coming weeks.

Bargaining context

Staff Association representatives tabled two letters received from the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology and the Commissioner of the Australian Public Service (APS), which confirm that bargaining occurs at an agency level and that neither the Minister nor the Commissioner is involved with bargaining at CSIRO.

Despite this, CSIRO senior management stated that the 2018 Workplace Bargaining Policy of the APS Commission will apply to bargaining for two main reasons:

  • The policy itself states that it applies to all APS and non-APS entities; and
  • A written direction from 2014 from Minister Ian Macfarlane to CSIRO Chief Executive Megan Clark (which relates to a previous bargaining policy).

Next steps

The next negotiation meeting on 27 November will consider the bargaining issues of all parties. Staff Association representatives will be providing regular communications to members before and after meetings and seeking feedback, including through workplace meetings.