Women

Catholic Uni CPSU women members happy with the Deal!

A Year's Paid Maternity Leave!

CPSU negotiates ground breaking parental leave provisions

By Anne Kennelly
CPSU Organiser

The CPSU has negotiated ground breaking parental leave provisions for workers at the Australian Catholic University, including up to a year's paid maternity leave for eligible women employees.

The CPSU/PSA recently completed enterprise bargaining negotiations with the Australian Catholic University. CPSU Industrial Officer Mr Ian Gallaway said that ? The Agreement with the ACU is an important milestone for men and women workers in Australia. This Agreement however would not have been achieved without the dedication and hard work of the CPSU delegates, in particular Peter Blakey, and members, at the University. The CPSU recognises the provisions as being the new benchmark for parental leave, not just in Universities but in Australia. The CPSU now intends to seek that the parental leave provisions won by the CPSU at ACU be inserted in all University Enterprise Agreements.?

The Parental Leave provisions are:

§ a female with NOT LESS than TWO years continuous service is entitled to 12 weeks full pay for maternity or adoption leave PLUS additional leave of 40 continuous weeks at 60 per cent of salary. This 40 weeks requires the staff members to sign a return to work agreement;

§ a female with between one and two years continuous service is entitled to maternity or adoption leave on full pay for 12 weeks, and can have unpaid leave to make the aggregate 52 weeks;

§ a female with less that 52 weeks continuous service is entitled to maternity or adoption leave on full pay at the rate of one week for each month of service up to a maximum of 12 weeks. Additional leave without pay can be taken up to an aggregate of 52 weeks;

§ a staff member who is not the primary care-giver is entitled to 15 days paid paternity leave, continuous of aggregate within 14 weeks of adoption or birth;

§ a female with between one and two years continuous service is entitled to maternity or adoption leave on full pay for 12 weeks, and can have unpaid leave to make the aggregate 52 weeks;

§ a female with less that 52 weeks continuous service is entitled to maternity or adoption leave on full pay at the rate of one week for each month of service up to a maximum of 12 weeks. Additional leave without pay can be taken up to an aggregate of 52 weeks;

§ a staff member who is not the primary care-giver is entitled to 15 days paid paternity leave, continuous of aggregate within 14 weeks of adoption or birth;

§ for a staff member who elects to be the primary care-giver a further continuous 49 weeks unpaid leave is available;

§ foster parents are entitled to 6 weeks at half pay if the child is under 5, 3 weeks half pay if the child is 5 or older;

§ there is also available 52 weeks of unpaid child rearing leave for pre-school age children. Extensions may be granted up to a total of 4 years for combined maternity/adoption and child rearing.

To download the complete Australian Catholic University General Staff Enterprise Agreement, click here.

© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/latest_news/women/20010905_ACU.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005