The new Australian Government Employment Bargaining Framework sets out a fair process to give you a say about your pay and conditions. It also gives you a genuine choice between a union or non-union agreement.
We meet with AIFS management recently and discussed how this will work for
you.
The new framework is good news for fair workplace bargaining. One thing
remains the same and that is you still need an active and strong union
membership to get the best possible outcome that you deserve.
What does the bargaining framework give you?
The new framework guarantees that
AIFS must respect your choice for a union or non-union agreement
AIFS must engage in genuine bargaining with employee representatives,
including your union
AIFS will genuinely facilitate your access to the CPSU in the workplace
and respect delegates’ role
CPSU members have access to paid union training
You can put as much detail into agreements as you want without having
conditions lost in policy
Agencies can pay sign-on bonuses and
There is no requirement to provide details of productivity savings to
DEEWR.
What is the difference between agreement types?
When given a choice, our experience is that most staff in most agencies
choose union collective agreements. Aside from the very obvious difference in
pay outcomes, this table shows key differences that affect your ability to
secure fair and decent pay and conditions.
Union collective agreement
Employee (non-union) collective agreement
latest average pays 4.1% per annum*
latest average pays 3.3% per annum*
your employer and your union must reach agreement before an all
staff vote
no requirement to reach agreement
experienced CPSU negotiators sit with delegates and bring knowledge
of latest developments in the public sector to the negotiations
management may choose to consult with staff but are only obliged to
provide information
your union representatives can visit you and assist you in the
workplace to enforce your rights
individuals must raise disputes and your union is only involved if
invited by a member
collective strength in negotiations and a strong position deliver
better pay and conditions
your union is restricted in its lawful ability to enforce any
breaches or provide you with industrial advice and support
