Industrial Action Looming at VIC Universities Over Lack of Progress on New Enterprise Agreements
NTEU delegates are frustrated about the lack of progress on finalising new Enterprise Agreements at Victorian universities and will recommend a rolling industrial campaign at targeted campuses commencing in May 2004 to provide a ‘circuit breaker’ to the impasse, Victorian Division Secretary Matthew McGowan said today.
A special NTEU Victorian Executive meeting on Saturday 17 April unanimously voted to call meetings of members at all Victorian universities to consider recommendations for industrial action, with a range of activities being considered by different campuses.
“It’s now over four months since the higher education landscape for 2004 was clarified with the Senate passing the Howard Government’s changes in December,” Mr McGowan said. “And yet several Victorian universities haven’t really progressed their negotiations at all in that time.”
“Our members are angry – they know that many universities elsewhere have finalised new agreements, and are seeing their salaries and employment conditions falling behind their colleagues in other states. They want enterprise bargaining finalised as soon as possible.”
Mr McGowan said that the campaign is likely to involve members targeting different dates for industrial action, commencing in May, with university Branches determining the campaign’s timing in the next two weeks.
“Branches such as the University of Melbourne, RMIT, Monash University and Victoria University of Technology will most likely lead the way, to achieve decent outcomes for university staff in recognition of the vital role they play in the higher education sector.”
For further information and comment: Matthew McGowan 0417 054 110