Formal negotiations are concluded and the proposed new Enterprise Agreement has received final approval from the Australian Public Service Commission. CSIRO employees will vote on the proposal via all staff ballot between 4 and 10 September, following the legally required seven-day access period.
“Throughout the bargaining process, the priorities of Staff Association members have been consistent and clear; protection of existing conditions, a reasonable pay increase and a new agreement delivered on time,” Staff Association Secretary Sam Popovski said.
“The new Enterprise Agreement (EA) proposal largely delivers on these priorities. The Staff Association recommends the agreement and encourages all CSIRO employees to vote yes in the upcoming ballot.”
Background
Last September CSIRO staff won a campaign to bargain for a new, legally protected enterprise agreement rather than an unenforceable determination by the Chief Executive.
Staff Association members identified six bargaining issues as the focus for negotiations. These included a timely agreement (completed before November 2020), fair and reasonable pay and superannuation, no loss of conditions from the current agreement, to update and improve EA clauses where possible, protection of indefinite employment as CSIRO standard and equitable entitlement and access to parental leave.
Using the current EA as a base, formal negotiations commenced late last year and despite some delays over recent months in securing Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) approval, the EA proposal is now set for formal consideration by CSIRO staff ahead of the September ballot.
Proposal overview
“The proposal is a three-year agreement from November 2020 which means that existing EA conditions will be protected by law until the end of 2023. Of the agreement’s total 94 clauses and schedules, 82 are agreed and 12 are not agreed. Staff Association negotiators have achieved modest improvements to eleven EA clauses,” Mr Popovksi said.
“Of the twelve clauses not agreed, ten of these retain existing conditions. The proposed changes to the two remaining clauses – pertaining to pay and postdocs – represent a negative outcome for CSIRO staff in our assessment.”
The Staff Association is conducting a national series of online meetings to provide more detail and analysis of the EA proposal before the September ballot. For more information contact an organiser, delegate or visit the enterprise bargaining resource page.
Vote Yes
“78 per cent of Staff Association members supported the new EA following consultation earlier in May and minimal change has been made to the proposal by the APSC between then and the agreement now on offer,” Mr Popovski said.
“Staff Association representatives support the EA proposal and recommend that members vote Yes in the upcoming ballot, between 4 and 10 September 2020.”
“A new enterprise agreement will safeguard pay and working conditions until 2023, providing CSIRO staff some measure of security in the face of future uncertainties,” Mr Popovski said.
Related content
