Staff Association bargaining representatives recently met with CSIRO Executive for a preliminary discussion ahead of formal negotiations for a new enterprise agreement.
The meeting took place at the suggestion of the union bargaining team, following Executive’s announcement of an indeterminate delay to the commencement of bargaining at CSIRO.
The Staff Association focussed on housekeeping issues, including the facilities available for bargaining representatives, setting a schedule of bargaining meetings and priority order of bargaining agenda items, once negotiations begin.
Union reps also sought to clarify recent comments made by CSIRO’s Chief People Officer Marcia Gough around bargaining parameters and the operational timing of next CSIRO enterprise agreement. That commentary flagged a possible re-alignment for CSIRO EA negotiations with Australian Public Service bargaining, including potential changes to timing and processes.
While we’re still waiting for the government’s new bargaining policy, Executive representatives assured us there are no planned or expected changes to the scheduling or processes for CSIRO negotiations.
We’re ready to bargain. Staff Association members want to see CSIRO bargaining starting on time, so that outcomes can be negotiated without delay. However, we’re pleased to have secured early progress on scheduling and delegate facilities.
Our preparation has been thorough and comprehensive. We’ve spent six months engaging with members and CSIRO employees to develop a bargaining claim, a principles-based document that sets out the Staff Association’s starting point for negotiations and the union’s overall enterprise agreement campaign objectives.
With just over six months until the nominal expiry date of the current deal, there’s not a moment to waste. It’s time to start negotiations for a new enterprise agreement at CSIRO.
Only Staff Association members determine the union’s bargaining priorities. If you’re not yet a member of the union, and you want your views to be represented during negotiations, join us today.