WORKING TOGETHER:
Update on Negotiations
11 November 2009
On 22 September 2009, the University made a comprehensive offer to the National Tertiary Education Union (the NTEU) towards a new enterprise agreement.
The University was disappointed when the NTEU rejected the University’s proposal. The University continues to consider the proposal to be fair and reasonable and appropriate to the particular circumstances of the University of Melbourne.
In response to the proposal, the NTEU provided the University with a counter-proposal that included an acknowledgement of the University’s significant concessions and some minor amendments to the NTEU’s previous claims. For the most part, however, the NTEU’s position has remained unchanged.
The University continues to bargain in good faith and has been meeting regularly with the NTEU (and other unions). The University is attempting to bridge the gap between the parties by offering considered and reasonable compromises to the NTEU’s claims. The parties have together identified the areas of significant difference between them and have scheduled some intensive negotiation meetings to address these differences, commencing 16 November.
The negotiations are therefore moving steadily towards agreement.
Despite this progress, the NTEU has signalled an intention to take industrial action over the Semester 2 exam period. The University has not yet been formally notified, but it is understood that the industrial action will take the form of work bans (including bans on the recording and transmission of student results) and a half-day work stoppage. For information on the implications of engaging in industrial action please see the FAQs.
The University is disappointed by this move by the NTEU—especially given the steady progress that is being made in negotiations. However, the University is keen to finalise an agreement and will continue meeting with the NTEU so the parties can continue to work together towards agreement.