Hard Work on Hi-Q
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May 2017 Re:Union Queensland University of Technology In this issue: Hard work on Hi-Q 1 Hard work on Hi-Q HiQ is the change 2 President’s Comments going on in many 2 Your 2017 QUT Enterprise offices, so far fairly Bargaining Team unseen. 3 Enterprise Bargaining Professional staff have 4 P-Plates on parade been hard at it, taking this administrative and 4 Showcase buildings - not all that service system through glitzy its ‘go live’ date, 29.4.17, 4 Trouble in Science and working towards full Engineering operation. 5-6 Academics’ Performance Many of the people ‘Framework’ affected have said 6 What kind of VC for QUT? that such events, automating 70% + of 7 The appointment process - how it student services other Construction on the new Hi-Q area in R Block at Kelvin Grove. works than teaching, may be becoming ‘HiQ’, or the ‘Student Gateway’ 7 Profile of a VC - who was Fred? inevitable, but the implementation put itself, now ‘QUT Students’. burdens on those being relied on to make The union Industrial Officer, Rob Rule, has it happen. urged people to keep their eye on work It started with some confusion over the diaries. re-naming, from QHub to HiQ, not so “If you are getting long hours over this, much announced as just mentioned, no ensure that you are getting full TOIL or Numbers add up reasons as yet. Some thought, something Overtime entitlements,” he said. New union like copyright? A quick check on line is always a good starting point if looking “We have also been talking with sign-ups management about how much they will have for a ‘marketable’ name, see http://www. copyright.org.au/ pay so-called Student Concierges, who covered the will be employed to help students with More seriously, one NTEU member who expected inquiries, as part of HiQ. losses after attended staff meetings and monitored last year’s the introduction stage, said the ‘human’ “The idea is to pay at HEW 3, like Student Voluntary Retirements. It adds up, side was a bad advertisement for Ambassadors, but we will need to see that more are now joining, given technology-driven change. if they end up doing work that involves initiative and outputs, taking it to a higher some adverse times at QUT … “It was terrible to hear someone saying level. To sign up friends, see the form they’d been crying because they had lost on back page. Apologies to new their job”, they said. “Members of the union, please be in touch staff; unlike other universities with any queries about how this is working “It can get cruel and shows disrespect for QUT bans union representation for you.” people.” at your Orientation events – but Member inquiries, contact the NTEU A lot of the work has been drudgery, like plenty of people are around to Branch office at QUT, 31385452. help us find you. the renaming of websites, ‘QUT Virtual’ NTEU Queensland University of Technology Branch | Room K324, Kelvin Grove Campus ph 3138 5452 | [email protected] | www.nteu.org.au/qut Published by National Tertiary Education Union. Authorised by Lee Duffield, Branch President, QUT Branch 2 Re:Union – May 2017 Re:Union – May 2017 3 President’s Comments 2017 QUT Enterprise Bargaining Bizarre goings-on: know Enterprise • Additional payment for casual staff and can afford to pay. Time for a new including minimum payment per They have to deal with the federal it when you see it Bargaining agreement instance of employment of Professional government persisting with major staff to four hours. cuts to education spending included Team • Improved provisions to assess and Our members enjoy unprecedented. There is very broad on pay and in its disastrous 2014 Budget, still not measure Professional staff workload, to withdrawn. excellent terms support in this country for the public The meetings of members on 16 conditions at limit workload rises; assure consultative and conditions university system… Australians do not March 2017 endorsed the NTEU mechanisms on workload levels; ensure At the same time they operate their own hard-won over expect universities to act like ruthless Bargaining team for the Enterprise QUT access to paid overtime. budgets, and according to research carried many rounds of private corporations or building Agreement. Your representatives • Review of academic workload models out for the NTEU, they overwhelmingly run at a surplus. bargaining, as the developers, which is what is now are: Commencement of Enterprise to ensure all staff are able to complete NTEU often states. happening.” Bargaining is scheduled for the near all allocated work in the given time, That research shows that on 2015 figures, Now we see He also criticised the cutting of Australian Jeremy Davey, future, to set up agreements going and consolidate feed-back from staff the public universities recorded an management at public research funding, with 20% of Professor, CARRSQ through to 2020. on effectiveness of models; annual operating surplus of some $1.609-billion Western Australia’s science jobs in public agencies removed accident research audits of academic workloads; ensure – an operating margin of 5.6% of total QUT Branch President On the staff side, the NTEU has payment of overtime where actual income. That’s been fairly consistent, Lee Duffield Murdoch University since 2013 – getting like the United States. unit, Faculty of proposed the start of bargaining , and workloads excel agreed standards; except for the Global Financial Crisis year challenging that. Health. as at the last day of March university create additional Lecturer A positions to 2008. (The QUT figure was 3.5% in that They have applied to the Fair Work management advised it was ‘considering Commission to terminate the Collective Too much ideology distribute teaching workloads and ease survey). Taal Hampson, Team this information’. Agreement covering the university’s Such reactionary moves are linked to Cost of living Leader (Professional The union employees, and have lawyers promoting this financial ideology that is supposed continues as a Services), Oodgeroo wants wages some US style union-busting. to create wealth for all through business major worry for all Unit that will reflect competition, but has not been travelling wage earners, with members’ good well. It is struggling to deliver economic anxiety now about Stand-off productivity growth, which it depends on, against interest rates, and provide a Naturally the union is fighting this at the depletion of natural resources, or impacts pushing up home David Nielsen, Senior guarantee of Commission and in every available forum; of climate change. As huge inequalities of loans payments, Lecturer, Creative paying the bills. staff members have voted against a ‘final wealth are building up, wages are again together with Industries Faculty offer’ of a bare 3% pay rise over four years, under pressure, as with the 25% chopping It has other Members and union staff at training in March to prepare for the current round of bargaining. incipient inflation. and Vice President plus stripping of other benefits. If the of Sunday penalty rates this year. concerns that It’s notable that agreement were scrapped, employees will NTEU Branch came up in its How to read what’s going on – try the on 16 and 17.3.17, the NAB then Westpac have only minimal safety-net protections, (Academic) member survey late last year – like job dependence on Sessional employment. Raudonikis test. banks raised home loans without any leaving everything else entirely for security and problems with workloads. • On staff performance expectations, management to decide, like possible wage Facing all this, Planning and Performance Review national rise being put out by the Reserve Robert Rule, NTEU It is looking for more member feed-back cuts up to 40%. Redundancy packages, millions stay (PPR) to be based on reasonable and Bank. Other banks followed. Industrial Officer and support to promote a good outcome. parenting leave and protections on reasonable, join agreed criteria; and no Unsatisfactory Analysts saw that as being influenced by academic freedom could all go. the union, share The NTEU Branch Committee at QUT Performance processes where workloads prospective higher rates in America, which what they see with authorised a proposal on 3 March, and that allocations are exceeded. That episode fits in with other efforts might see Australian rates go to around friends; and to get went on to meetings of members on 16 • New provisions for Domestic Violence to turn back the clock on rights and 5.3% for houses; they calculated many your own, shrewd March, where it was approved – to be put leave. employee protection; like unsuccessful home buyers would be up for an extra idea of what is going on, try applying for forward as a Log of Claims. • More commitment by the university efforts at James Cook University last year $300 per month. Investment loans rose by yourself, the Tommy Raudonikis test. Glen Thomas, Senior to exceed targets for workforce to directly force a staff vote on a restrictive more and Westpac loaded a higher rate Lecturer, Creative participation by Aboriginal people and offer of pay and conditions; or certain That Rugby League ‘rough diamond’ raise onto “interest only” loans. Industries Faculty Claims put forward by the Torres Strait Islanders. senior executives of universities asking addressed a Brisbane rally against the last Already in January the finance industry and Acting Secretary NTEU • Fair process for the allocation of teaching conservative state governments to convert great attack on wages and conditions, was projecting a return to inflation; in NTEU Branch at the QUT International College. their governing Councils to paid boards the ill-fated ‘Work Choices’ 2007. He was The QUT staff members’ case is headed by money-talk, the ‘pause in inflation came to • Preserve all existing employment of directors – no more places for staff, next speaker after a lawyer critiquing the a claim for a 15% increase on all salary rates an end’ at the end of 2016.