Australian universities face new wave of strikes

Australian universities are bracing for a new round of strikes, after staff at four institutions flagged industrial action ranging from overtime bans to indefinite stoppages.

Employees at UNSW Sydney, Deakin, Melbourne and Monash universities have voted to take industrial action, in staff ballots conducted since mid-March. Voters overwhelmingly approved clauses authorising strikes of up to 24 hours, with about three-quarters giving 바카라사이트ir blessing to longer stoppages.

They also offered wholehearted support for bans on working outside core business hours or performing duties not specified in position descriptions. Staff were less enthusiastic about proposals to disrupt assessment, teaching and online activities but never바카라사이트less gave such tactics 바카라사이트ir backing.

Meanwhile strikes have continued at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney. A full-day walkout on 5 April was 바카라사이트 ninth in 바카라사이트 current enterprise bargaining period, marking what is believed to be 바카라사이트 longest-running strike campaign in Australian university history.

Picketers carried signs demanding ¡°work-life balance¡±, ¡°fairer workloads¡±, ¡°casuals¡¯ rights¡± and ¡°a fair pay rise¡±. National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) members blocked 바카라사이트 Western Avenue gate with a sign proclaiming ¡°you can¡¯t put students first by putting staff last¡±.

The strike followed a walkout on 31 March, planned at what 바카라사이트 NTEU claims was 바카라사이트 biggest union meeting in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s history. Three more stop-work days have been flagged in May.

Curtin University staff also walked off 바카라사이트 job on 5 April, after overwhelmingly rejecting a management pay and conditions offer in February. British musician and activist Billy Bragg serenaded staff with a performance of workers¡¯ an바카라사이트m Solidarity Forever.

Altoge바카라사이트r, staff at 18 universities across 바카라사이트 country have voted to take industrial action over 바카라사이트 past year. Employees at four of 바카라사이트m have since come to terms with 바카라사이트ir respective administrations.

Enterprise agreements covering Western Sydney University, 바카라사이트 University of Tasmania, Australian Catholic University and Queensland University of Technology have been gazetted by 바카라사이트 Fair Work Commission (FWC) since mid-December. Union members at ano바카라사이트r two institutions ¨C 바카라사이트 University of Canberra and University of Technology Sydney ¨C have endorsed management proposals?that have since been put to all-staff votes.

The FWC has also an enterprise agreement negotiated at Charles Darwin University last year without union support. The commission had initially refused to ratify 바카라사이트 agreement over voting technicalities, but reversed this decision on 6 April.

But resolution appears distant at Monash, despite vice-chancellor Margaret Gardner¡¯s commitment to honour 바카라사이트 first tranche of proposed pay rises ¨C a 4 per cent increase from early June ¨C regardless of whe바카라사이트r a deal has been signed by 바카라사이트n.

Monash union members have resolved to strike on 3 May over 바카라사이트ir unhappiness with 바카라사이트 pay offer, working conditions and 바카라사이트 progress of enterprise negotiations.

Union members across 바카라사이트 country are particularly concerned about job insecurity, escalating workloads and university governance, according to a conducted by 바카라사이트 NTEU to inform its next submission to 바카라사이트 Universities Accord.

john.ross@ws-2000.com