CSIRO and the CSIRO Staff Association are nearing agreement on the new Enterprise Agreement, following months of negotiations and stop work meetings.

 

Staff Association members will vote on the draft agreement at workplace meetings today and on Friday 13 May.

 

The draft agreement provides for an annual pay increase of 3.5% over three years.

 

CSIRO Chief Executive, Dr Megan Clark, said she believed the pay offer is fair and reasonable.

 

The Staff Association Council has advised members that  while ‘positive movement’ has been achieved on the issues of consultation and redundancy and redeployment, there has been little achieved on the issues of pay and parental leave. However, it says that while the agreement is a disappointing outcome on pay, it is the best outcome that can be achieved without escalating industrial action.

 

It said that after the wave of bans and industrial action, the CSIRO Executive slight improved the pay offer in two ways:

  • the pay amounts have been equalised throughout the agreement (3.5% on commencement in July 2011; 3.5% from 5 July 2012 and 3.5% from 4 July 2013) and not ‘back loaded’ as sought by the CSIRO Executive (3.25% in 2011, 3.5% in 2012, 3.75% in 2013).
  • the pay offer is now an annualised 3% from the nominal expiry date of the current agreement (16 February 2011), not from the date when the agreement will commence in July 2011. This represents an improvement of ~1.1% over the duration of the agreement. The annualised 3% pay quantum is still a disappointing outcome for staff.

 

Improved conditions in the new draft agreement include:

  • A requirement for consultation with staff and unions in all circumstances where initiatives and proposals have implications for the employment of staff or affect the way work is to be performed.
  • Abolition of the ‘spill and fill’ process and an increase in the age at which redundancy termination entitlements reduce from 65 to 67.
  • Employer superannuation payments to be paid on periods of unpaid parental leave up to 52 weeks. Increased flexibility in when paid parental leave can be taken.
  • Travel within and outside the bandwidth to be time on duty.
  • Where there are planned changes to accommodation, the new accommodation must be suitable for the work role and function.
  • Miscellaneous leave maximum increased from 12 to 15 days (17 days for Alice Springs).
  • Where staff are directed to work during the annual shut down, they can take an equivalent time period as miscellaneous leave in the following month.
  • A new minimum entitlement of five days a year for all staff for learning and development..
  • Workplace delegates rights have been expanded and improved.

 

A number of entitlements currently contained in CSIRO policy will be formalised in the new agreement.

 

More information is at http://csirobargaining2011.org