Union and Delegate Rights
Claim
4. The Agreement will provide improved union and delegates rights via increased time release for union representatives, access to staff email lists, access to staff inductions, and access to at least 10 days trade union leave per member each year.
Details
1. Time release for Branch-level representatives
Branch-level officials (eg, President, Secretary, Vice-Presidents, members of the Branch Committee) should be granted a combined time release from their normal work duties of at least 1 FTE, to be shared among them.
The President will advise the University from time to time who is to get what FTE of time release. (The division of time release FTE among Branch-level officials is a matter to be determined by the Branch Committee.)
For each Branch-level official granted time release, the University must provide sufficient funding to their work unit to cover the portion of their salary consumed by time release and provide replacement staff to cover the portion of their workload consumed by time release.
Where casual staff are granted time release, they must be paid for the additional work that they perform in this role.
Where staff on less than 1 FTE are granted time release (eg, Teaching Associates on 0.7 FTE), they may opt to increase their overall FTE up to a maximum of 1 FTE.
For staff given time release which results in a reduction of their FTE devoted to normal work duties, they must be afforded proportionate reductions in workload for their normal work duties and performance expectations.
2. Time release for union delegates
Each union delegate should be granted 0.1 FTE time release to undertake union duties.
The President or their delegate will advise the University from time to time who is a duly appointed union delegate.
The University must provide sufficient funding to each delegate’s work unit to cover the portion of their salary consumed by time release and provide replacement staff to cover the portion of their workload consumed by time release.
Where casual staff are granted time release, they must be paid for the additional work that they perform in this role.
Where staff on less than 1 FTE are granted time release (eg, Teaching Associates on 0.7 FTE), they may opt to increase their FTE.
For staff given time release which results in a reduction of their FTE devoted to normal work duties, they must be afforded proportionate reductions in workload for their normal work duties and performance expectations.
3. Union access to staff inductions
The University will inform the NTEU of all formal induction sessions for new staff and NTEU representatives will be permitted to make a presentation to and distribute union information at those sessions.
The University will supply all new staff with a membership form for the NTEU.
4. Trade union training leave
The University will allow delegates and Branch-level officials up to 10 days’ leave with pay per year for workplace relations training.
The University will allow all union members up to five days’ leave with pay per year for workplace relations training.
Presented on 25/3/26
Management Response
The Bargaining Team presented this claim in the Bargaining meeting on 25/3/26 and management took our claim under advisement. Management indicated they were sympathetic to delegate time release ask, and need to think about the officials request.
Management provided a response during the Bargaining meeting on 7/5/26. They declined 10 days leave for all members, agreed to leave for delegates and offered 0.1FTE for Branch officials (90% less than NTEU claim for 1FTE).