What is an Enterprise Agreement?
A legally binding agreement between workers and management that details the conditions and entitlements of employees including leave, salaries, employment types, span of hours, workloads. University agreements typically run for several years. Universities can be held accountable if they fail to follow their Agreements. In general, workplaces with enterprise agreements have significantly better conditions and entitlements than those without.
What is a Log of Claims?
The list of changes sought by the negotiating parties, including management, to the existing Agreement. Local NTEU members meet together to contribute to the Log of Claims, with further input from the national organisation.
What is good faith bargaining?
Means that all parties are expected to meet with the other side, exchanging bargaining proposals and making a sincere attempt to reach an agreement. If parties do not bargain in good faith, the Fair Work Commission can be asked to intervene.
What is enterprise bargaining?
The process of renegotiating an agreement between union members and management. When a new agreement is negotiated, it must be endorsed by more that 50 per cent of voting staff and approved by the Fair Work Commission.
What is a non-union ballot?
When management seeks staff approval for a new agreement that has not been endorsed by union members. In 2020 the University of Melbourne sought a non-union ballot to lower the pay of all staff claiming it would save jobs. NTEU members mobilised in a vote no campaign and staff voted no against this measure.
What is a Protected Action Ballot Order (PABO) and why do you need it to take strike action?
Under the Fair Work Act, only union members are allowed to take industrial action and only after they have jumped through procedural hurdles such as a Protected Action Ballot where more than 50 per cent of the membership endorses the types of industrial action they may take.
What is Protected Industrial Action?
Members of a union that has fulfilled the obligations of a PABO can take actions that place pressure on management to accede to union members’ bargaining demands. Actions could include a week long strike or bans on particular work activities. Often it is these actions that bring management back to the negotiating table. The more staff involved, the greater the pressure on management.
How is an agreement endorsed?
Once the parties to the Agreement have finalised negotiations, staff to be covered by the new Agreement vote on whether to approve it. To be approved, more than 50 per cent of voting staff must endorse it.
How did we get to where we are in bargaining?
July 2025 NTEU national bargaining survey launched
September 2025 NTEU UniMelb branch bargaining survey launched
October 2025 Notice of Employee Representational Rights (NERR) issued by the University
November 2025 Initial bargaining meetings commence between the University, the NTEU and UWU
January 2026 Draft log of claims developed by the NTEU UniMelb branch committee and delegates using survey results, member conversation logs and analysis of member enquiries and cases
March 2026 Draft log of claims endorsed at an all-member meeting of the NTEU UniMelb branch
March 2026 Log of claims served to the University
April 2026 NTEU bargaining team meets with UniMelb bargaining team to walk through the Log of Claims
May 2026 Protected Action Ballot Submitted
May 2026 Protected Action Ballot Approved