UNIVERSITY STAFF ENDORSE NATIONWIDE INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Tue 30 Sept 2003
University staff from across Australia today voted to take a nationwide 24 hour strike at all 38 of Australia’s public universities on October 16, in pursuit of their bargaining claims.
The decision was carried overwhelmingly by delegates at the National Tertiary Education Union’s (NTEU) Council, currently taking place in Melbourne.
“This vote is a direct response to the Government’s announcement last week to deny universities up to $404 million in public funding unless they adopt a range of hardline workplace requirements, including placing staff on Australian Workplace Agreements and lifting limits on casual employment,” said Grahame McCulloch, NTEU General Secretary.
Today’s vote also follows a decision by University of Sydney management not to sign an enterprise bargaining agreement with the NTEU because it did not include the requirements set down by the Government.
“University staff have done the hard yards in maintaining the quality of our public higher education system amid a sharp decline in government funding. This has come at a cost - sky rocketing student to staff ratios, increasing casualisation, job insecurity, increasing hours of work and mounting stress levels for staff.”
“The Government’s latest proposals will do nothing to deal with the real workplace issues staff face. Indeed the proposals will only make the situation even worse. They are a direct attack on the collective bargaining process, the right of staff to be represented by the NTEU, and an unnecessary interference in university affairs.“
“While today’s decision is not taken lightly, the strike signals our determination to maintain not only the pay and working conditions of staff, but to preserve the quality of education our members provide to students,” said McCulloch.
“The depth of feeling against these proposed changes among our members is overwhelming and the Union expects that our university system will effectively shut down for the duration of this nationwide action, part of a wider industrial, legal and political campaign agreed on at today’s Council meeting.”
“Early indications are that the October 16th strike will receive strong student support from university students, including from the National Union of Student and the Council of Australian Postgraduates Associations.”
“University management can not take the middle ground. Management can either support the Government or they can support staff and their commitment to high quality teaching and research.”
For information and comment
Andrew Nette, NTEU Policy and Research Coordinator: 0438 026 277
Ken McAlpine, NTEU Senior Industrial Advisor: 0418 357 499