NTEU UC Bargaining Update

Member Meeting, 27 November 2025, 12.30pm – Room 9A1 and online (register)

Members welcome, and UC staff yet to join can join prior at www.nteu.au/join

At the first meeting there was constructive discussion on some issues, but UC has proposed removing existing entitlements on job security

Well the first bargaining meeting has concluded, and it’s clear we’re going to need to be organised to not only win our key claims, but also to defend existing entitlements. Encourage your colleagues to join the union at www.nteu.au/join.

As you will be able to see from UC’s email this morning, the University’s proposals remove entitlements to fixed-term and casual conversion to more secure employment. These include provisions based on incorrect employment to fixed-term positions, and conversion after a period of service.

We’re also concerned that UC is proposing to increase the amount of hours professional staff need to work before being eligible for overtime payments. It is disappointing that the University has proposed diminishing professional staff overtime entitlements in the wake of admitting $1.5 million of professional staff underpayments, largely in relation to overtime.

It is also no clearer what the University intends in relation to the Block Model (read about the concerns and sign the petition here).

If you’re looking through UC’s proposals, pay careful attention to what’s not there compared to the current Agreement. We'll make this clearer in the Member Meeting, based on the state of negotiations after the next bargaining meeting.

Despite the concerning proposals in relation to the job security of UC staff, there were also some constructive elements of bargaining. The University proposed a form of Continuing (Contingent Funded) positions, which have been used elsewhere (including the ANU) to replace rolling fixed-term contracts – this is generally a positive though the proposal needs to be strengthened, with appropriate guardrails.

We also had positive initial conversations around academic freedom and freedom of speech, including expanding coverage to professional staff doing academic work (e.g. Third Space workers). We’ve had discussions about extending union rights for Delegates and representatives, to make it easier to talk to your colleagues about improving conditions and resolving issues before they become bigger issues.

Share this report – encourage colleagues to join the NTEU

To not only win our key claims, but to defend against the removal of existing entitlements, we need as many people as possible to be part of the union (at www.nteu.au/join). Please feel free to share this report with your colleagues – it is important that UC staff have a counterpoint to some of the communications sent out by the University.

The next meeting with the University's bargaining team is 26 November 2025. The day after, we’ll be having a meeting to update members on progress. Please bring your questions, feedback, issues for discussion – and feel free to let us know questions you’d like us to answer in advance.

In-person attendance is preferred, but online attendance is also available (register).

This meeting will be for NTEU members only, but any UC staff who are not yet members are welcome to join if they join the union prior to the meeting. The best way for UC staff to join the NTEU is online at www.nteu.au/join.

In the next meeting we’ll discuss different forms of leave, including recreation (annual) leave, personal leave, parental leave, long service leave, gender affirmation leave, and more. We’ll be advancing the claim of NTEU members for reproductive health leave.

We also recognise that UC has some way to go in terms of being a culturally safe and inclusive workplace for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff. These issues will be discussed in the next meeting and will be informed by a meeting NTEU is hosting today, which is an identified-only meeting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff at ACT universities. We’re extremely committed to ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business is prioritised by the University.

With meetings scheduled until May 2026, there is some way to go – and if the first meeting is any indication, we will need to continue to build momentum to achieve an Agreement which demonstrates that UC staff are valued, supported and respected.

In solidarity,

NTEU UC Bargaining Team

Lachlan, Craig, Bethany, Katie, Denise and Luke

Meeting 1: 12 November 2025