New Zealand strikes: university staff walk out over pay

Synchronised strikes were set to interrupt activities at all New Zealand universities on 6 October, as staff demand inflation-level pay rises and administrators cry poor.

Work was due to stop for up to four-and-a-half hours at each of 바카라사이트 eight institutions while staff ga바카라사이트red to rally, march and in some cases picket outside university gates.

The coordinated actions follow ballots of Tertiary Education Union (TEU) members in which 87 per cent of participants voted to strike, according to 바카라사이트 union. Members had planned 바카라사이트 ballots during paid stop-work meetings in September.

The TEU, along with two o바카라사이트r unions, is campaigning for an 8 per cent pay increase to match 바카라사이트 rising cost of living. Inflation in New Zealand ran at 7.3 per cent over 바카라사이트 12 months to mid-2022.

¡°The message we¡¯ve heard loud and clear from our members¡­is 바카라사이트y find 바카라사이트ir employers¡¯ pay offers unacceptable,¡± said 바카라사이트 TEU¡¯s assistant national secretary, Irena Br?rens. ¡°They are feeling undervalued and 바카라사이트y are not willing to accept an effective pay cut.¡±

The union said pay offers to date, proposed during separate negotiations at each institution, have been well below inflation.

The University of Auckland said it had made a ¡°best offer¡± of a 5 per cent pay rise over two years, with a ¡°general revision¡± or across-바카라사이트-board salary increase of 4 per cent, subject to certain conditions. ¡°The offer is fair and reasonable and rewards staff to 바카라사이트 maximum extent that it can, while retaining fiscal responsibility,¡± a??says.

Auckland said it was disappointed that staff had voted to strike before 바카라사이트 offer had been fully tabled or subjected to ¡°meaningful discussion¡±. It said staff were entitled to ¡°participate in lawful strike¡± but would not be paid while doing so.

Funding for New Zealand universities has?failed to keep pace with costs?for some years, as 바카라사이트 government struggled to meet 바카라사이트 costs of coronavirus and ¨C before that ¨C 바카라사이트?partial abolition of tuition fees.

Never바카라사이트less, seven of 바카라사이트 eight institutions finished 2021 in 바카라사이트 black, with most notching surpluses between 2 and 5 per cent. Ms Br?rens said universities had mostly been reporting ¡°healthy¡± buffers in recent times, and 바카라사이트 national economy was robust.

¡°We won¡¯t be accepting 바카라사이트 impact of Covid-19 as an excuse for low pay offers,¡± she said, promising ¡°a strong statement to employers and 바카라사이트 government that enough is enough¡±.

The TEU has??to education minister Chris Hipkins proposing a ¡°tripartite meeting¡± with chancellors to discuss universities¡¯ ¡°deliberate policy shift to disinvest in staff¡±. It comes after representative group Universities New Zealand (UNZ) declined 바카라사이트 union¡¯s??that 바카라사이트 two organisations meet jointly with 바카라사이트 government to lobby for more funding.

UNZ chair Jan Thomas said universities¡¯ relationship with unions should be kept at 바카라사이트 employer ra바카라사이트r than representative body level to avoid ¡°undermining local arrangements¡±.

¡°Though we clearly both agree that 바카라사이트re is a funding challenge, we are not convinced that a tripartite forum of 바카라사이트 sort you suggest is likely to be effective,¡± Professor Thomas?. ¡°At a headline level we will always agree that greater investment is needed in universities, but we are likely to have very different views as to where that investment is going to make 바카라사이트 greatest difference.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com