Union campaign to save Armidale jobs

Date: 27 March 2000

Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) general staff members at the University of New England in Armidale have endorsed industrial action in support of their Enterprise Bargaining log of claims, which includes a no forced redundancy claim.

Key elements of this log are:

• 'no compulsory redundancies' of General Staff;
• a moderate claim for a 9 per cent salary increase over two years; and
• a one-off $1,000 payment on certification of the agreement for each General Staff employee at UNE.

CPSU Industrial Officer, Ian Gallaway, said "that general staff numbers had been cut deeply. Since 1989 there has been a net loss of 102 general staff jobs at UNE, with large losses in the last 3 years".

"Our claim for 9 per cent is conditional on the no compulsory redundancies. With the effects of GST, petrol and interest rate increases, inflation this year alone could be around five per cent".

"We are asking for a one-off certification payment as an equity issue particularly for our lower-paid General Staff members".

"Other universities have already signed-off on agreements which contain no forced redundancy clauses and one-off certification payments for their general staff members", he said.

"Our salary claim of 9 per cent is a moderate one considering other universities are agreeing to average salary increases of 12-13 per cent."

A survey of CPSU members carried out during 1999 found the number of compulsory redundancies to be the major concern of members.

UNE's counter offer on salaries is 6 per cent over three years with a further four 1 per cent (4 x 1%) increases based on university determined contingencies.

The details of these contingencies have not yet been revealed by UNE despite a request from the union.

Three days rolling stop-works will occur this week. (They will be timed to avoid disrupting graduation ceremonies.)

For further information

Contact:	Ian Gallaway
Union:	Public Service Association of NSW
Phone:	9220 0976
Email:	igallaway@psa.asn.au
WWW:	http://psa.labor.net.au/

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