Long CQU campaign secures gains
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 128 No 8, 2 November 2023, page no. 18
The QTU/AEU(Q) commenced negotiations for a replacement Central Queensland University (CQU) agreement in March 2021. Our CQU EB21 has been a long campaign based on three elements: professionalism, parity, and programming. The new CQU enterprise agreement achieves gains in each element.
Professionalism gains are achieved with a commitment to a beginning teacher scheme, access to LVT, and support and release time for members undertaking Union Rep roles.
Parity gains are achieved by a reclassification for vocational educators, which will include new positions for foundation educator, senior teacher, and HOCV. The QTU was able to negotiate administrative payments during the lengthy campaign, including a 2022 additional administrative payment for immediate salary increases prior to Fair Work Commission certification of the new agreement.
Programming gains are achieved through a new programming dispute resolution process, with mechanisms built in to ensure compliance, as well as a commitment to not holding meeting during unpaid breaks.
A detailed report on the CQU21 campaign gains is available as a member-only document on the QTU website.
QTU members are to be congratulated for their engagement in this long campaign. Members were at the centre of developing the QTU log of claims over an eight-month period from 2020.
The process commenced in August, with face-to-face meetings as well as joint meetings via Zoom. The log of claims was endorsed by the QTU’s TAFE Council at its meeting on 14 November 2020 and formally presented to the employer when negotiations commenced on 30 March 2021.
COVID-19 was a significant barrier to successful negotiations, largely due to the collapse of the international student market and the resulting impact this had on the university’s finances. Given the financial situation of the university, in early 2023, the parties to the agreement put negotiations for a replacement CQU enterprise agreement on hold.
Formal negotiations recommenced in July, with the parties attending a full-day bargaining session and CQU presenting an offer to settle negotiations. Elected delegates to QTU TAFE Executive received and considered the offer and regarded it favourably, albeit with some amendments. Additionally, it was reported to TAFE Executive that negotiations were close to being exhausted, and the draft conditions were unlikely to be improved further.
On 11 August, Central Queensland University provided the QTU with a revised pay offer to settle the matters that had been raised by QTU TAFE Executive and communicated to the employer.
At its meeting on 12 August, QTU TAFE Council resolved that it:
accepted in principle the proposed enterprise agreement as it pertained to VET educators, and requested that TAFE Executive and Senior Officers proceed to a member ballot to inform the Union of the acceptability of the overall agreement
recommended that members in CQU support a “yes” vote in the ballot on the acceptability of the overall agreement.
On 28 August, the QTU opened a CQU member ballot, and 97 per cent of the eligible members who voted were in favour of accepting the proposed agreement.