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Results Bans lifted, but NTEU members vow to fight on for better job security
NTEU members at UNSW met yesterday to discuss the Enterprise Agreement negotiations and ongoing industrial action. After serious discussion, members decided to remove the results bans in place since late November and resolved to continue with a strategic campaign designed to exert maximum pressure on University management.
The message from those present at the meeting was clear and emphatic – that NTEU members at UNSW deserve the right to secure ongoing employment and that they are willing to fight hard to bring UNSW conditions in line with other GO8 Universities. There was a lot of discussion about the need to broaden the campaign in the coming months and members urged those present to talk to others about joining with their union colleagues.
A UNSW campaign planning meeting will be held in early February to decide the many and varied actions that will take place in the coming year. If you have been inspired by the members who have sacrificed pay when stood down by the University, you should get involved. If you want better conditions and a more inclusive University you should get involved. NTEU members at UNSW are stronger together!
“Union action is the only way workers have won rights and better conditions in the past. UNSW management have made it clear that this is still necessary. That’s why we’ve taken a stand,” said Diane Fieldes, casual staff member at UNSW, who was stood down as part of the action.
Comments
[ -1 ] You people are SO SAD. Looking at the post by "aca staff" - "enjoy your low wage rise till 2014" tells me that you people are SO greedy.
Like • Dislike •You get to do what YOU want, you don't have to slog it out in the real world, you get to work as academics.
Then you get the NTEU wastes of oxygen wasting not only oxygen, but time and money, but most importantly - you're affecting those who effectively pay your wages - the students.
Leave the students out of your pathetic, greedy dispute. "LOW WAGE RISE" - You're ungrateful. Your attitude is so ungrateful it is disgusting.
I don't think I'll be posting on this page and I'm sure my comment will be deleted, as no common sense is allowed it seems.
[ 0 ] I love how famous James became through his repeated unintelligible drivel and how both sides used his comments as motivation. Next time mate I’d refrain from the homophobic rants /personal attacks and you might just retain some credibility.
Like • Dislike •[ -3 ] @Student they won't do that its too much like being a real person rather than hiding behind the NTEU banner they are all Sheep led by head office.
Like • Dislike •@Happy Staffer they hate you because you have a brain and can think for yourself. Just like they hate us students and withhold our marks
@Unhappy Staffer get a life you fool. All the Uni has to do is hire a few more casuals and there won't be any hours left for you losers. Its called thinking smart rather than actually sacking you they give you 3hrs a week or something, I hope they do then you can all get back to smelling like crap
[ -4 ] @ NTEU If you were all serious about forcing Fred to resign, and making sure you get your demands met, then your Academics do have the ability to get this done... if enough of them actually supports the NTEU at all???
Like • Dislike •Every Academic is a member of their Faculty Board. If every Faculty Board across the Uni called on the VC to resign, and refused to implement any teaching or research until he did, then that would give the Council (again, with a number of Academics sitting on Council) justification to sack the VC. If the NTEU were really, really well connected and supported, even the Academic Board could pass a No Confidence Motion...
Has any of this happened?? These Boards meet regularly, but have any of them actually entered the debate, let alone supported the NTEU?
Until they do, nothing the NTEU demands has any legitimacy because they dont have the genuine support of the Academic Community.... When the actual UNSW Academic Community supports the NTEU, then they might finally have some negotiating power of their own...
[ 0 ] @happy staffer- go look up the definition of protected industrial action. Union members can't be sacked whilst striking during a bargaining period. Sorry for the bad news Fred.
Like • Dislike •[ -8 ] I work in a very busy location where Students come in on a daily basis. Use your brains and you should be able to figure that out (it was especially busy when your union did its failed campaign)
Like • Dislike •@Beware they won't have the guts to go on a full on strike as it will mean that they have the chance of losing their jobs. How many of their union will risk that? I wish they did and were all replaced. Clean up the state of morale here at UNSW - they say morale is low, well its due to the Union movement here (especially the NTEU)
[ 0 ] @Happy Staffer - where the hell are you working on campus? in David Ward or Fred "Executive suites"? surely you're not involved in the direct procurement of funds but rather a parasite of them. More casual staff what a fabulous notion. Can anyone remind me exactly why we need insecure employment? what exactly was so bad at UNSW before Hilmer came along? why is it that since he arrived everything suddenly had to change? I've been here since the late eighties and ultimately this external consultant-like corporate bully will move on. The question remains, in what sorry state will the place be in when he pisses off with his big bonus? sure we might be left with a bunch of new buildings with his and his corporate buddies names on them, but I've never seen the morale of the UNSW staff as low as it is right now. Good one Fred, no matter how much you pretend to be a nice guy at your self-indulgent Christmas parties, no one likes a boss who screws his staff, especially a staff who is well educated.
Like • Dislike •@Beware - Are you working directly for Fred or are you Fred? creating a little more paranoia and intimidation? as for lists of scabs, whatever. Actually it's not a bad idea, have someone come in and do my marking for a week or two so I can have some time off (albeit unpaid). At least this way I wouldn't be working while I'm on leave as I usually do.
[ -5 ] I have heard talks through the halls of where I work about a list of people who wil be employed if you guys strike. I'm sure you know of this already but I don't want to see any academic lose their job
Like • Dislike •[ -5 ] If you classify people who work hard for a living and do not join union movements for personal reasons bludgers then it really does make you and your union a sad case.
Like • Dislike •I actually lost out when the AWA's were scrapped, but that was fine because I know that there were a lot of staff out there who were too scared to stand up for themselves and were treated poorly. This again is the unions fault if your members back then were not sheep then they would have got good deals.
Union members sacrifice? what sacrifice are you talking about? being stood down? well you were covered with the Union funds (although if this was like some others I've seen it would have not been every week on the day which would have effected rent etc).
[ +13 ] @Happy Staffer. Non union workers accept all the benefits of trade unionism without contributing to the costs. Do you think you would be on anything like the salary you're on now from the largesse of university management? You just whinge on the sidelines and live it up on union members' sacrifice and hard work. James Joyce had a very poetic name for people like you - he called you the 'gratefully oppressed'. I just think you're a bludger.
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