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Parties outline initial bargaining positions

Parties outline initial bargaining positions

The second bargaining meeting between Staff Association representatives and CSIRO senior management was held Wednesday 27 November 2019.

The two-hour negotiations allowed parties to outline initial bargaining positions and map the way forward to progress issues.

Staff Association priorities 

The Staff Association outlined six key priorities for bargaining:

  1. 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)
  2. Fair and reasonable pay and 15.4% superannuation, with choice of superannuation fund
  3. No loss of conditions from the Enterprise Agreement (EA), including into CSIRO policy
  4. Update and improvement of current EA clauses
  5. Strengthening indefinite employment as the standard form of employment in CSIRO
  6. Equitable entitlement and access to parental leave (paid and unpaid).

Staff Association bargaining representatives proposed the commencement of ‘clause by clause’ negotiations; to enable immediate progress on the six key priorities and other bargaining issues put forward by Staff Association members.

CSIRO senior management position

CSIRO senior management did not reveal many specifics about its bargaining position, but did indicate:

  • Intent to propose annual pay increases of 2 per cent over a three year agreement
  • to use the current EA is a solid basis for negotiating a new agreement
  • reluctance to introduce major management-sponsored changes to the EA
  • aspiration to complete negotiations within the first six months of 2020.

More progress expected this year 

All parties agreed at the next negotiation meeting – Monday 9 December – to commence the ‘clause by clause’ negotiation process, starting with clauses in Parts A and B of the current agreement.

Staff Association members with specific commentary regarding these clauses are encouraged to email bargaining representatives at [email protected] before 9 December.

Next steps

Staff Association bargaining representatives are encouraged by the early progress of negotiations, however more input from members will be critical as issues are discussed in the new year.

A combination of workplace meetings, snap polls, and web and email-based communications are planned to enable specific feedback from Staff Association members on issues such as pay and superannuation, leave entitlements and postdoctoral employment; as these topics are discussed at negotiations.

Join us

Help us achieve the strongest possible bargaining outcome for CSIRO staff. If you’re not yet a member, join the Staff Association today. Email [email protected] or call (03) 8620 6348 to speak to an organiser.

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