Academic staff at the University of Wollongong are set for better pay and conditions after supporting a proposed new enterprise agreement.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A staggering 97 per cent of staff who voted, supported the agreement which will see a $1000 increase to the base of all full-time academic annual salary rates immediately.
Academic staff will see the increases reflected in the next pay cycle on October 3, with rates of pay for casual and part-time academic staff to also be increased on a pro-rata basis.
That initial increase will be followed by stepped salary increases (calculated from September 19) that are above expected CPI over the life of the agreement.
The agreement expires on June 30, 2022.
In an industry first, UOW will make employer superannuation contributions on periods of unpaid parental leave during the child's first year of life.
The university will also extend the 17 per cent superannuation contribution it pays for permanent, full-time staff to include all permanent, part-time employees who work less than 0.5FTE by June 30.
The agreement also includes a number of enhancements to paid leave provisions, including: committing to 15 days domestic and family violence leave; introducing cultural and ceremonial leave for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees; and improved parental leave with paid partner leave increasing from five days to 10 days.
UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings said he was pleased staff had voted so overwhelmingly in favour of the new agreement.
"This is an agreement that recognises the dedicated work of our academic staff while also putting UOW on a solid footing to prepare for the future in a rapidly changing higher education sector," Prof Wellings said.
The university will now lodge the new, staff-endorsed agreement with the Fair Work Commission for approval. Once approved by the Fair Work Commission, the agreement will come into effect.