NTEU wins increase in permanent employment
By Tyrion Perkins
SYDNEY — Hundreds of fixed-term contracts are to be converted to permanent following an agreement the National Tertiary Education Industry Union has negotiated with the University of Sydney.
Under the Higher Education Contract of Employment award, the employment of staff under contract for fixed periods was outlawed from June 30, but it does not apply to staff already employed on contract. The agreement, to be signed this month, provides for many existing contract staff to be converted to permanent employment.
The agreement excludes externally funded positions, replacement staff and senior management. It also excludes contract staff who are employed on two contiguous contracts (each for at least 12 months) within the university.
University management has also agreed not to use Australian Workplace Agreements, the federal government's individual employment contracts.
The deal extends the provisions of the award, including notice and severance pay rights, to general staff, who had been denied access to the new award because of a contradictory clause in their current enterprise agreement.