The State Government has reached in principle agreement with CPSU and AEU for the next four year Victorian Government Schools Agreement.

The State Government has reached in principle agreement with CPSU and AEU for the next four year Victorian Government Schools Agreement following over six months of negotiations which focused on wages and conditions for ES staff, teachers and principals. 

It is proposed that the next Agreement will have a nominal expiry date of 30 April 2021.

Key issues that CPSU was pursuing included:

1.   Reducing ES fixed term employment levels, which have been at unacceptably high levels of 40% for many years, in favour of ongoing status

2.   Wage increases that include a focus on the lowest paid (ie levels 1-1 and 2-1)

3.   Review of Descriptors to provide ES staff with career progression opportunities

These key issues have been addressed.

The following salary increases has been agreed for ES staff:

·         Seven salary increases effective from the first pay period on or after:

o    1 April 2017 = 3.25%

o    1 April 2018 = 1.5%

o    1 October 2018 = 1.75%

o    1 April 2019 = 1.5%

o    1 October 2019 = 1.75%

o    1 April 2020 = 1.5.%

o    1 October 2020 = 1.75%

·         Abolition of current 1-1 and 2-1 salary step, replaced by extra salary step in Range 1 and 2.
In addition to the 1 April increase, this abolition will deliver an immediate extra 4% increase for those currently on 1-1 or 2-1.  This helps address the unacceptably low wages of 1-1 and 2-1 ES staff and was a key CPSU claim.

·         Allowances

o    Minimum special payment increased to $855

o    Salary loading and first aid allowances increased in line with salary increases

o    Re-establishment allowance is increased to $500 for an employee without dependents and $1000 for an employee with dependents

·         Fixed term employment transition to ongoing employment

o    DET will conduct an annual process for the translation to ongoing employment for eligible fixed term employees except where a principal can demonstrate a valid reason for continued fixed term employment. This will reduce the unacceptably high level of fixed term employment amongst ES staff and could see up to 5000 ES staff translated to ongoing employment status (this figure is from DET modelling). This was a key CPSU claim

·         Review of Descriptors

o    For many years members have expressed frustration at the lack of career progression opportunities within the ES classification structure. The main barrier has been the broad nature of the Descriptors, which determine where ES staff are placed on the classification structure. To address this issue DET has agreed to the key CPSU claim to a review of the Descriptors during the life of the next Agreement, which will provide an opportunity for CPSU to advocate for Descriptors to be amended to provide real career progression

·         Compassionate transfer placements

o    Where an exceptional circumstance exists of an ES staff member not being able to return to their workplace there will be annual funding of $2m to facilitate a compassionate transfer to an alternate workplace

The agreement delivers on key issues affecting ES staff, in particular addressing the unacceptably high levels of fixed term employment.

What Next?

CPSU will review and respond to the current offer via our governance processes which include an opportunity for all ES staff to vote on the proposed agreement with this vote expected to occur in early Term 2.

Queries?

Please send any questions you may have to CPSU Team Leader Nick Church

KAREN BATT
CPSU Victorian Branch Secretary / Federal Secretary

Friday 24th March 2017