SCU staff vote NO to EB offer
15th August 2003
Southern Cross University staff have overwhelmingly voted down a management proposal for a one year enterprise agreement, which included a 4% pay rise. In the ballot, 161 staff voted in favour of the Vice-Chancellor’s offer, while 402 (71%) voted against.
A ballot was conducted among all the University’s 1200 academic and general staff, after the Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Rickard, struck a deal with the CPSU (Community & Public Sector Union), which has about 40 members at the University. The NTEU (National Tertiary Education Union) launched a major campaign against the Agreement, which General Secretary Grahame McCulloch described as sub-standard on both pay and conditions. He said:
“It is very encouraging that SCU staff took the Union’s advice and voted this proposal down by such a large margin.”
“Vice-Chancellor Rickard’s proposal would have delivered a pay rise of 4% - well below that which the NTEU has already achieved elsewhere. The offer also failed to deal with NTEU claims such as excessive workloads, improved maternity leave and general staff classification issues.”
“A one-year agreement would have delayed bargaining until late 2004, by which time the Federal Government will be trying to dictate the terms of bargaining. It is very disappointing that Professor Rickard decided to side with Minister Nelson against his own staff.”
SCU Branch President Paul Gannon hailed the result as an endorsement for the NTEU’s approach to bargaining at the University.
“The Vice-Chancellor called this ballot without warning, leaving the Union very little time to explain why the inadequacies of the Vice-Chancellor’s offer. In light of this the large majority in support of the NTEU’s position is very heartening. Staff at the University will now be pressing the Vice-Chancellor for serious bargaining with the NTEU without delay.