 What
is NTEU?
National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) is the only
union working exclusively in the tertiary education sector and the only
union covering academic staff. The Union has a democratic and effective
structure, and gives university staff an authoritative and expert voice
in current debates about Australian tertiary education.
There's an NTEU Branch at every
Australian university.
For Branch Office contact details, go to www.nteu.org.au/bd
NTEU is active around a broad range of professional
and industrial issues of concern to tertiary education workers, and
has a team of specialist research, industrial, training, recruitment
and campaign staff maintaining high-level expertise and providing assistance
direct to the membership.
Members can also save money by accessing a wide range
of services and benefits. For details, see www.nteu.org.au/benefits
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What’s
the problem with casual employment?
While casual employment sometimes provides employees
with important flexibility, casuals usually miss out on a range of other
entitlements that other staff receive, such as sick leave, paid parental
leave and above-guarantee superannuation (permanent academic staff in
universities receive 17% superannuation, whereas casuals only receive
9%).
In addition, the minimal job security that casual
employment brings with it means that casual employees usually cannot
get access to home loans or other finance.
For an analysis of casual employment in higher education,
see two major research reports commissioned by NTEU at www.nteu.org.au/getinvolved/categories/casual/papers/
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What
is NTEU doing for academic casual employees?
Since the 1990s, higher education has gone through
a period of turmoil due to cuts to Commonwealth funding, changes to
industrial relations legislation and a range of other national and international
pressures. One of these changes has been rapid growth in casual employment.
Between 1995 and 2005, overall university employment
increased by 17%, whereas casual employment increased by 54%.
A key priority of the Union is to improve the lot
of casual employees, both by improving conditions directly and by ensuring
universities provide opportunities for casuals to attain more secure
jobs. In 2007-8, NTEU is running a national campaign on casual employment
with these two objectives.
Improving conditions
In 2003, through a claim lodged in the Industrial
Relations Commission regarding casual employment, NTEU achieved an increase
in the loading on the hourly casual rate of pay from 20% to 23%, payment
within 22 days of lodging a claim and additional pay for required attendance
at lectures. NTEU has successfully negotiated implementation of this
win in all university Collective Agreements, achieving a 25% casual
loading at some institutions.
However, while these were important improvements,
NTEU knows many casual academics still work unpaid hours, have difficulties
accessing proper facilities at work and do not feel integrated into
the collegial life of their Schools and Departments.
In 2007-8, NTEU’s campaign to improve casual
academic conditions will include:
- Developing new claims in conjunction with casual
members for improvements to Collective Agreements. Approaches will
include claims for improved facilities and resources, improved superannuation,
an increased 'minimum wage' for casual academics, an increase in the
number of deemed paid hours per teaching hour, and a new allowance/loading
for maintaining professional currency in a discipline.
- Working to ensure NTEU members who employ academic
casuals engage in fair employment practices.
- Aggressively enforcing existing provisions and
entitlements through legal and industrial avenues.
- Surveying academic casuals and conducting facilities
and resources audits in targeted universities.
- Monitoring the level of casual employment
at each university and nationally.
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Opportunities for more secure
employment
For many casual academic staff, casual work is seen
as a ‘foot in the door’ to more permanent academic employment.
However, NTEU’s research has shown that casual academic employment
is sometimes like a treadmill: sessionals are often re-engaged to perform
casual work year after year rather than appointed to entry-level fixed
term or continuing academic positions.
In 2007, NTEU will be holding state-based conferences
for casuals to discuss options for how to improve academic career paths
for casuals. There will also be a national conference of casual NTEU
members to refine ideas and further develop claims for inclusion in
Collective Agreements.
Current proposals include processes for conversion
of long term academic casuals to fixed term or permanent employment,
designated fixed term teaching and research positions for long-term
casual employees and the expansion of style of ‘sessional’
employment for casual employees adopted at the University of Technology,
Sydney, where casual teaching staff have access to leave, incremental
progression, improved superannuation and retrenchment benefits.
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What
can the Union do for me?
Industrial advice
NTEU employs industrial staff in local Branch and
State (Division) offices, and in the National Office. They provide specialist
advice and support to members on all matters related to the conditions
of their employment, including appointments, promotion, classifications,
contracts, unfair dismissal, disciplinary procedures, intellectual property,
consultancies, research funding and a myriad of other issues.
Read about these and more at www.nteu.org.au/rights
Lobbying Government
NTEU lobbies governments and all political parties
on issues related to tertiary education funding, policy and employment.
NTEU makes submissions to parliamentary inquiries, and liaises with
employers, students and professional associations on issues affecting
the work of university staff. Read more at www.nteu.org.au/policy/submissions
Collective Bargaining
NTEU represents university staff in collective bargaining
at every university. NTEU provides the resources and organisational
strength to enhance our members’ bargaining power – but remember,
our capacity to bargain effectively is directly linked to our strength
on the ground. If you want to have a say in negotiations affecting your
pay and conditions, join the Union!
See more at www.nteu.org.au/ouruniversitiesmatter
Communication with Members
The NTEU national website – www.nteu.org.au - provides up-to-date information on all areas of the Union’s work.
NTEU provides a wide range of services to members, including regular
information through newsletters and journals, discounts on goods and
services, seminars for members on professional issues, union training
and access to ACTU financial services.
NTEU members also have access to Union Shopper, a
shopping service providing discounts and savings on a wide range of
products and services. A casual using Union Shopper to purchase goods
just 2 or 3 times would be likely to save the equivalent of an entire
year’s membership dues.
Members can get a copy of the Membership
Benefits Guide by contacting your Branch or Division office or by
downloading one online.
Read about more membership benefits at www.nteu.org.au/join/benefits
NTEU’s national magazine, the Advocate,
is sent to all members, including casuals, three times a year. The women’s
magazine, Frontline,
is sent to all women members once a year. The Australian
Universities' Review, NTEU’s refereed academic journal,
is published twice a year and is sent to all members who request it.
See more at www.nteu.org.au/publications
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How
to get involved in NTEU
The Union organises a number of conferences, meetings
and events for members to participate in. Each Branch has an elected
committee that meets regularly, and many Branches create working parties
to deal with particular issues of local concern to staff.
At a state level, there are Division working groups
and networks. Contact the Division office in your state to find out
about local activities.
At a national level, there are Education and Research
Committees, an annual Women’s Conference, and an Indigenous members’
forum. Read more at www.nteu.org.au/about/organisation/committees
If you are interested in any of these events your
Branch can give you information about getting involved. Elections for
Branch committee and other positions are held every two years, and casual
staff who are Union members are eligible to both run and vote in these
elections. www.nteu.org.au/getinvolved
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How
to Join NTEU
You can join the Union by:
For casual staff NTEU membership is set at three
levels, based on your estimated earnings. The low casual rates were
established in recognition of the unpredictability of casual pay rates
and work.
NTEU membership is fully tax deductible, so the real cost after tax
is even less! All values include GST.
| Estimated salary range |
6 month fee |
Annual fee |
| $10,000 and under |
$27.50 |
$55.00 |
| $10,001 – $20,000 |
$38.50 |
$77.00 |
| Over $20,000 |
$55.00 |
$110.00 |
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|
