ASU Adopts Collective Agreement between Staff and Administration

In late December 2014, the conference to adopt the collective agreement between staff and administration of Astrakhan State University for 2015-2017 has been held. A number of faculty and administrative staff members have been elected by our numerous units and departments as their delegates. According to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, a primary union organization must represent staff’s interests when negotiating, signing, changing, and executing such a collective agreement.

Ms. Tatyana Bugreeva (Chairperson of the Teachers’ Trade Union of Astrakhan Region), Prof. Alexander Lunyov (Rector of ASU), and the employer’s reps have taken part in the conference.

Prof. Lyudmila Kasyanova, Chairperson of the Trade Union of ASU, has given a report concerning the main principles of social partnership and the structure of the collective agreement that was to be discussed and adopted. She has remarked that relations between an employer and its employees must be based on partnership principles, on respecting each other’s interests. Adoption of a collective agreement demonstrates such social partnership well, since it is an essential legal document that regulates social and labor relations. Prof. Kasyanova has pointed out that the Union Committee and the University Administration have been meeting their obligations (which are reflected in the collective agreement) and that it has produced a positive impact upon the University staff’s overall work.

The conference has been preceded with large work to prepare the collective agreement. Newly-elected trade union executives (headed by Prof. Kasyanova) initiated a negotiation process. A bilateral commission to hold the negotiations has been established (nine reps of each of the two parties, i.e. 18 people total). A number of suggestions and additions concerning the future collective agreement (published on the web site of the University) have been submitted by staff members. Prof. Kasyanova has reported the conference delegates about outcomes of negotiating all those suggestions and additions, as well as about making certain decisions.

Prof. Kasyanova’s report has been followed with speeches by a number of staff members and by reps of the University administration, including the Rector. After the debates, all the delegates have been requested to vote. As a result of their voting, the collective agreement between the Administration and the staff of Astrakhan State University for 2015-2017 has been adopted.

Russian original information source: the Trade Union of ASU

Translated by E.I. Glinchevskiy (the Center of Translation Studies & Conference Interpreting “ASTLINK” of ASU)