NTEU WILL URGE BALLARAT STAFF TO VOTE NO
29 September 2005
NTEU will encourage University of Ballarat staff to reject the unsatisfactory Enterprise Agreement proposed by University management, and once again calls on University management to negotiate a HEWRR-compliant agreement with union and staff representatives, NTEU Victorian Division Secretary Matthew McGowan said today.
“The Agreement proposed by management seeks to reduce important employment conditions and includes inadequate salary increases. It offers less to general staff than to academic staff.”
“University of Ballarat staff deserve better. Management needs to be forced back to the negotiating table to provide a more acceptable offer.”
“University management effectively refused to negotiate the terms of the Agreement with union representatives or elected staff representatives, and now staff are being asked to vote on this Agreement on a take-it-or-leave-it basis.”
Mr McGowan said that the NTEU has consistently argued that the University needs to offer salary increases that are comparable with other universities, to continue to attract and retain quality staff.
“This is particularly important in a regional community like Ballarat, where the University provides crucial education opportunities that many regional students otherwise would not have.”
“In our view the proposed Agreement goes much further than it needs to meet the federal government’s requirements for future funding, at the expense of staff’s working conditions.”
“The University was recently ranked in the top 10 Australian universities in a student satisfaction survey. University management has generated a lot of rhetoric thanking staff for their efforts. But they are failing to deliver when it comes to providing real improvements in recognition of staff’s work.”
“The survey we conducted in August indicated that a significant number of university staff are unhappy with both the process that has been conducted and the terms that management is proposing. They feel that this is having a growing negative effect on the university community as a whole.”
“We urge all University of Ballarat staff to vote no to the proposed Agreement.”
For further information and comment:
Matthew McGowan, NTEU Vic Division Secretary 0417 054 110
Dr Jeremy Smith, NTEU Ballarat Branch President 0429 334 938