MIA Employees Bargaining Update

MIA VICTORIA

BARGAINING UPDATE – ACCESS PERIOD OPENING TODAY

Thank you to all those members who have supported the current round of bargaining. On Friday 6 July 2018, we attended the last meeting with MIA Victoria, after 6 months of bargaining. 

MIA pursued their strategy of wanting almost no change to the Agreement, which has made bargaining challenging. While we are disappointed we haven’t been able to make significant changes to the Agreement, we have worked hard to bargain for entitlements you told us were important to you; like your right to access annual leave, and your right to convert overtime to permanent hours to improve your employment security. You now have the opportunity to consider the proposed Agreement and cast your vote.  

Voting 

Members will have access to the Enterprise Agreement from today, 4 September 2018. This is your opportunity to:

  1. Read and review the Agreement;
  2. Ask questions of Management; and 
  3. Understand the proposed entitlements. 

Then, from 18 September 2018 to 25 September 2018, members will have the opportunity to vote on the proposed Agreement. You will shortly receive information from MIA management regarding how you can vote. However, we understand voting will be conducted electronically. If you have any concerns, please let us know. 

Wages

The HWU has strongly advocated over the last 6 months of bargaining, for significant wage increases and most recently a sign on bonus. However, MIA has remained steadfast in their pursuit to limit employee wage growth. 

The current wage proposal is as follows: 

  • 2.5% increase to wages each year; 
  • 2.5% increase to allowances each year (excluding travel allowance);  
  • Over a 3 year agreement. 

The first increases will be backdated to the first full pay period after 1 July 2018 after the Agreement is successfully voted up. That is, members will not have to wait until the Agreement is approved by the Fair Work Commission in several months’ time.  

Improvements negotiated 

We have negotiated the following improvements to the Agreement: 

  • Improved provisions regarding annual leave 
    • Requiring management respond to your annual leave requests within a reasonable timeframe and improving the excess annual leave requirements
  • Part-time review of hours clause 
    • Right to convert hours regularly worked in to permanent contracted hours
  • Casual conversion clause
    • Right to convert casual employment to permanent employment if regularly and systematically working permanent hours
  • Payment for online e-learning 

MIA Compromise 

  • Family and Domestic Violence Clause 
    • MIA agreed to include the national minimum entitlement to 5 days unpaid leave to enable employees to deal with family and domestic violence. This does not provide members an entitlement to paid leave, nor many of the protections we had bargained for in our clause. However, it is a first step, and we hope to build on it in the next round of bargaining.  
  • Withdraw their claim requiring work on weekends 
    • MIA has agreed to withdraw their claim which would have removed the entitlement for workers to refuse to work weekends. 

Contact us 

Should you have any feedback, questions or concerns about the proposed Agreement, please contact our Call Centre directly on (03) 9341 3300 or email us at info@hwu.org.au. 

REMEMBER – talk about the progress of bargaining with your colleagues. Encourage your team to join the HWU by calling (03) 9341 3300, by returning the membership form found below or by following this link. 

We are stronger together!

HWU Membership Form