A turbulent two-year dispute over working conditions at Swinburne University has ended in a win for staff.
The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has agreed to a settlement with the university that will see 50 new jobs created in a bid to help address the casualisation of the workforce.
The ongoing and fixed-term positions are to be generated for Swinburne’s sessional staff, also called casual academic staff, that have worked with the university for more than four years.
NTEU Swinburne vice president Dr Mark Schier said the union had been campaigning for years to secure better working conditions for Swinburne’s academic staff, the majority of whom were employed by the semester.
He said the dispute had been in and out of the Fair Work Commission a dozen times during the past two years.
“The NTEU has been able to finally resolve the matter and provide genuine security for 50 sessional staff,” he said.
The agreement also means staff who hold PhDs may be appointed as ongoing lecturers, while other positions will be offered to PhD candidates and staff who hold Masters degrees.
NTEU Swinburne Branch Committee member and sessional staff member Dustin Halse said it had been a struggle for the casual workforce, who received only half the superannuation of other staff due to their sessional status.
Halina Sykes, who has worked at Swinburne since 2009, welcomed the opportunity to apply for the new roles.
She said not being entitled to paid maternity leave as a casual employee had recently forced her back to work less than two weeks after having her third child.
Swinburne University’s director of human resources Dr Andrew Smith said the organisation was pleased to take the step to provide greater job security for sessional staff.
“Staff who have taught for at least 72 contact hours in each of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 will be eligible to apply for these new roles and all appointments will be made on merit,” he said.
“Through the outcomes that have been achieved, we’re pleased to be able to be adding to the depth of Swinburne’s teaching expertise.”
Swinburne University found itself in hot water late last year after being found guilty of contravening its Enterprise Agreement by not consulting properly with staff when deciding to close its Lilydale campus and relocate its Prahran design faculty in 2012.
A Federal Court ruling saw the university dish out $40,000 to several community groups. Read the full story here.
