By Ben Reid

MELBOURNE -- Controversy has erupted over the current round of enterprise bargaining negotiations at Melbourne University. A branch meeting of the National Tertiary Education and Industry Union (NTEU) on March 26 voted to defer voting on the administration's "final offer" because of its unsavoury contents.

After extensive and at times heated talks with unions, the administration demanded trade-offs in return for a phased 12% pay rise. Unions were required to cooperate to achieve "revenue targets" and accept a drastically changed redundancy process.

At the March 26 meeting, the branch leadership argued that the deal is the "best available in the circumstances" and that if the offer is rejected the administration would hold ballot of staff and sideline the union, "setting it back years". Union negotiating team member Andy Blunden moved that the meeting endorse the agreement.

Rank and file union members argued that the deal be rejected. Accepting "revenue targets" meant cooperating with the introduction of up-front fees for undergraduate students and other negative changes, they argued. Melbourne University has approved this for 1998.

Critics added that if the union endorsed the agreement it would sideline itself by accepting the administration's terms. It would be better to call the bluff and, if necessary, run a "vote no" campaign in a ballot, strengthening the membership and organisation of the union in the process.

A report in the Australian on March 26 suggested that the national leadership itself was opposed to the deal as it would set a bad precedent for other universities that have yet to commence negotiations.

Another meeting is scheduled for April 9 where the branch will vote to accept or reject the offer.

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