Western Sydney University staff vote to support new Enterprise Agreements
Western Sydney University, the NTEU and CPSU are pleased to announce that University staff have voted to support the University’s new Enterprise Agreements for 2022.
Staff voted on the new Academic Staff Agreement and Professional Staff Agreement in a ballot held 28-29 November, resulting in an overwhelming ‘yes’ vote from both Academic and Professional staff.
The Academic Staff Agreement was supported by 95.1 per cent of those who voted, while the Professional Staff Agreement was supported by 97.45 per cent of voters. The ballot was conducted by Elections Australia.
Representatives from the University, the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) and National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) welcomed the result in a joint statement.
“Western Sydney University has worked constructively with both the NTEU and CPSU to create new Enterprise Agreements that enhance flexibility and certainty for all our staff,” said Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Barney Glover AO.
“In particular, we have worked collaboratively with the unions to address some of the long-term challenges that have faced the sector, like academic casualisation and insecure work.
“The University thanks both unions and all our staff for their positive and constructive engagement in the bargaining process to achieve well-deserved and fair improvements in working conditions for all.”
“This is an outstanding achievement by NTEU members to secure significant improvements for staff, including a large-scale academic decasualisation program that is the first of its kind in the sector,” said Dr David Burchell, Branch President, National Tertiary Education Union, Western Sydney University Branch.
“NTEU thanks its members, the University and all staff for coming together to bring about groundbreaking new Enterprise Agreements that help build a better workplace and a better University.”
“The CPSU is incredibly pleased to have secured new Agreements that reflect the modern university, provide fair salary increases and give staff more security and flexibility, including formalising remote working arrangements for professional staff,” said Scott Pendlebury, Branch President, Community and Public Sector Union, Western Sydney University Branch.
“The University and unions have worked productively to achieve a collaborative solution that benefits everyone and the CPSU thanks its members for their hard work and support to bring about this excellent result.”
The new Enterprise Agreements include salary increases for all Professional and Academic staff:
- 2.6% effective the first full pay period practicable after the positive vote, backdated to 14 October
- 3.35% in October 2023
- 2.9% in October 2024
- 2.6% in March 2025.
In addition to the above, Professional staff at Levels 1 to 5 will receive a one-off salary uplift of $1,000 while Levels 6 and 7 receive a $500 salary uplift, also backdated to 14 October 2022.
Significantly, the Academic Staff Agreement includes a sector-leading academic decasualisation program, with 150 new full-time equivalent positions to be created which will be open to eligible casual employees. The University’s academic workload allocations have also been updated.
The Professional Staff Agreement includes formalised remote working arrangements of up to two days a week for professional staff.
Both Professional and Academic Staff Agreements also include additional enhancements such as:
- A stipulation that a staff member will not be subject to more than one organisational change process that threatens their employment during the term of the Agreement
- Strengthened consideration of increases to workloads during any organisational change process
- Enhancements to paid parental leave
- Enhanced recognition of prior casual service for the purpose of long service leave accrual
- Introduction of paid miscarriage leave
- Introduction of paid gender affirmation leave
- Increased paid family and domestic violence leave
- Support for organ donors.
The Staff Agreements will now be lodged with the Fair Work Commission for approval and will commence seven days after they are approved by the Commission. Both Agreements will have a nominal expiry date of 1 March 2025.
ENDS
30 November 2022
Latest News
ABC RN transcript: Vice-Chancellor Professor George Williams discusses higher education sector, student support, and the impact of AI
The following is a transcript of an interview that aired on ABC Radio National Saturday Extra between presenter, Nick Bryant and Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished Professor George Williams AO.
Western Sydney University are the number one Australian solar car team at the 2025 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge
Western Sydney Solar Car team has crossed the finish line placing preliminarily sixth in the world overall, and the number one Australian team in the world’s most prestigious solar car challenge.
Western Sydney University Statement on Cyber Incidents
Western Sydney University has issued an update to its community following confirmation that previously stolen personal information was published online, including on the dark web.