At the University of the Sunshine Coast, National Tertiary Education Union members are taking industrial action on 30 September due to a breakdown in the collective agreement negotiations. Many staff are out on strike, and a peaceful protest is being held at the University’s entrance on Wednesday morning.

According to USC National Tertiary Education Union Branch President, Dr Elizabeth Eddy, “This is not about pay or funding issues. The NTEU is seeking a reinstatement of some significant provisions which better protected employees’ right to be treated fairly at work. These were lost under the Howard Government’s higher education workplace reforms.”

“The University is a pressure-cooker environment arising from excessive workloads and in some areas subsequent breakdown in working relationships between staff and their managers.”

“We understand USC management is under a lot of pressure in a difficult higher education environment, but this all the more reason to reinstate the provisions that better ensured the union’s capacity to represent members and staff in general in these difficult times.”

“However our attempts are being seriously hampered by USC management’s apparent dedication to continuing John Howard’s industrial relations agenda, even though it was soundly rejected by a majority of Australian voters, repealed by the Federal Government, and abandoned by all other universities where agreements have been finalised to date.”

“We are all custodians of the education of our future generations and our actions are motivated by ensuring USC remains a strong, quality university. This stance by USC management compromises these aims and risks the commitment of dedicated, hard-working staff at the University. The quality of teaching and support for students at USC is at risk from the serious staff morale problems, and a number are seeking employment elsewhere. This will inevitably impact on the Sunshine Coast region.”

“Unfortunately, management leaves us with no option but to take industrial action.”

For further comment, contact:
Dr Donna Weeks
NTEU-USC Branch Academic Vice President
National Tertiary Education Union – University of the Sunshine Coast Branch
0437-922-602 (mobile)
dweeks@usc.edu.au

The USC National Tertiary Education Union branch is holding a BBQ in support of branches at several other universities who are taking industrial action on Wednesday 16^th September due to breakdowns in collective agreement negotiations.

According to USC-NTEU Branch President, Dr Elizabeth Eddy, “The NTEU’s ‘Respect at Work’ campaign aims to highlight issues important to university staff, including excessive workloads and lack of fair treatment, which have contributed to serious morale problems amongst staff.”

“The current round of collective agreement negotiations has been the first opportunity for the university sector to re-instate employees’ rights that had been removed by John Howard’s unpopular industrial relations policies.”

“Most university managements have agreed in principle to their reinstatement. However a few, including at USC, have been reluctant to let go of the Work Choices type employment arrangements that were enforced under the previous Federal Government.”

“This is a disappointing development, particularly in the light of the commitment and successes of USC staff to date. Morale is already low, and a number of staff are already seeking alternative employment. It will be a pity to lose good staff, as the university is so important to the Sunshine Coast community.”

“We hope we can convince USC management to keep step with the rest of the sector by re-instating employee’s rights, as a crucial step to avoiding the industrial action the NTEU branch has planned for late September.”

Dr Elizabeth Eddy
Branch President
National Tertiary Education Union – University of the Sunshine Coast Branch

5430-1269 (w)

0407-964-681 (mobile)

5445-1868 (h)

eeddy@usc.edu.au

University staff across Australia are reporting a lack of respect and sometimes even contempt shown by management for the work done at all levels of the university.

Staff are now demanding more respect for the vital role they play in ensuring a quality output by the university community. Respect at work means:

• Respectable workloads.
• Respectable work/life balance.
• A respectable pay rise.
• Respectable job security for all staff.

Collective Agreements have expired at all universities and the former Howard Government’s WorkChoices laws have been repealed. However, most universities are yet to finalise new Fair Work Agreements and are still clinging to the discredited industrial regime that John Howard imposed.

Bargaining – the state of play

This situation draws into sharp focus the inadequacies of the now expired Agreements on job security, workload controls, dispute resolution processes and the use (and abuse) of casual and fixed-term employment.

These provisions, amongst others, were required to be removed or weakened by the Howard Government’s Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements (HEWRRs).

The only reason NTEU agreed to these provisions being diluted or removed was to enable universities to receive their share of the $500 million in additional grants that the Howard Government made conditional on the HEWRRs being met.

With the HEWRRs having been abolished 12 months ago, there is no reason or justification for any university not to re-instate the pre-HEWRRs standards in new and improved Collective Agreements.

However, despite negotiations occurring for many months at some universities, managements have stalled finalising new Agreements, and in some instances have refused to consider some of the key claims aimed at redressing the existing inadequacies.

Time for action

It is now time to break these deadlocks. Over the next few weeks NTEU members across the country will be voting in secret ballots on authorising action to put pressure on university managements to reach settlements on new Agreements.

Your colleagues need you to join our campaign to achieve fair and manageable workloads, a pay rise which will fairly acknowledge the hard work of all staff, and to achieve respect at work for all.

If you’re not currently a Union member, join online. To vote on and participate in action to be taken in the campaign, you need to join the Union today.

If you are already an NTEU member, contact your local office to see how you can help. You can do as much or as little as you like. Every helping hand will help us win the conditions YOU and your university deserve.