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UniSA staff strike today!

Posted 18 August 2010 by Juliet Fuller (SA Division)

Picket lines will operate from 8am to 11am at City West, City East, Magill and Mawson Lakes campuses.

“Enterprise bargaining has been underway for almost two years with no resolution in sight. The University of SA has offered a pay increase that would leave salaries lower than at all but one of the universities where new enterprise agreements ending in June 2012 have been reached with NTEU,” said Ted Murphy, NTEU National Assistant Secretary.

“University of SA management has been amongst the most recalcitrant in the country during the current round of bargaining. As a National Officer of the NTEU I have recently become involved at this University in an effort to finalise a new Enterprise Agreement. Over the past fifteen years I have participated in every round of bargaining across a wide range of universities and the bargaining environment at the University of SA during this round is one of the most difficult I have encountered.” Mr Murphy concluded.

“The University must offer a competitive pay rise and conditions in order to retain and attract quality staff. It must ensure that academic workloads are manageable and provide staff with time to make the kind of contribution students deserve. There is a direct link between the claims we are making in bargaining and a quality student learning environment,” said Kevin Rouse, NTEU UniSA Branch President.

“The strike will cause some short-term disruption to teaching and student services but we emphasise that this industrial campaign is as much about student needs as it is about staff pay and conditions. We have received sound student support as students become increasingly frustrated with the levels of access to staff.”

“UniSA has an obligation to its staff, students, and the broader South Australian community to maintain and improve the quality of education available to students. The best way to achieve this is to invest in the staff who provide a quality learning environment,” concluded Mr Rouse.