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Show we value our casual and sessional colleagues! Message from NTEU UoN Branch President

Posted 17 February 2012 by Jenny Whittard (University of Newcastle)

Dear Academic NTEU Members,

Doing the right thing by our Casual and Sessional Academic Colleagues

As the new University year commences and casual appointments for teaching sessions are well in progress, this blog is to bring to your attention resources you can make available to casual staff to demonstrate we really do value their contribution to the work that we do, and that they are valued members of our University and our Union.

Resources for Casual Academics

The Newcastle Branch has a very useful information booklet available for casual and sessional academics on their rights and entitlements under the University of Newcastle Enterprise Agreements. It is available on the link here https://www.nteu.org.au/library/view/id/1682.  There have been some changes under your agreements and this helpful guide can answer many questions both ongoing and casual staff may encounter during the year about employment rights for casuals. 

Please consider making this booklet available to tutors in your Courses, Programs or through School orientation/induction sessions this year. Extra copies are also available by contacting Jenny at the NTEU Newcastle Branch Office at Newcastle@nteu.org.au.

NTEU won increase to casual loadings from 1 January 2012

A reminder that the first of our hard won union pay gains under our enterprise agreements for this year are for casual staff.  For all casual staff members, the casual loadings were increased to 25% from 1 January 2012. These rates will also increase again next month when all staff get their union won and well-deserved 2% pay increase on the 1^st March!

 

Access to University Resources by Casual staff members

The NTEU has been raising issues with University management around better support for casual staff. Through the UoN Staff Consultative Committees and Personal Case representation the NTEU has advocated on behalf of casual staff members on such issues as:

• streamlining contract appointment processes and timesheet cut offs so casuals are paid on time;
• ensuring correct payments for all marking and course-co-ordination activities;
• improving casual’s access periods for email, blackboard, CAR, library, HR Online and raising parking issues.

 The NTEU Branch Office and your local NTEU representatives are available for advice on all these matters so contact us on 49216870 at Newcastle@nteu.org.au if you would like more information or have any issues you would like your NTEU Consultative Committee representatives to raise.

 Do you know any RHD or postgraduate students who also work for the University? Help them access the benefits of Union membership.

Don’t forget, if your research higher degree and postgraduate students also do work for the University as a casual employee they are eligible for all the benefits of NTEU membership (access to advice, representation, publications and tapping into our local academic network of NTEU members) for potentially as little as $27.50 for 6 months membership.  Visit our membership page to find out more at http://www.nteu.org.au/join.

A dedicated NTEU web page for Casuals

 This NTEU website aims to help casuals find out what they need to know to survive as a casual in Universities, and provides practical tips as well.   Visit http://www.unicasual.org.au/.  

You can also read the NTEU National Office submission to the ACTU Independent Inquiry into Insecure Work in Australia on our Uni Casuals webpage.

Your NTEU Newcastle Branch representatives are working on appearances at the local hearings for the Inquiry in Newcastle on the 21^st Feb 2012.  Please feel free to forward through to the Branch Office comments or issues to be raised by the NTEU at the local Inquiry hearings.

 

LET’S SHOW WE VALUE OUR CASUAL STAFF

                                       

Suzanne Ryan,

President, NTEU Newcastle University Branch