Queensland NTEU takes action

By Justin Randell and Adam Baker

BRISBANE -- Academics, students and general staff have taken action for better enterprise bargaining agreements at the University of Queensland, Griffith University and Queensland University of Technology.

Around 100 Griffith University academics, general staff and students picketed the university council on August 2, protesting against a pay offer of just 2% a year for the next three years -- less than the expected inflation rate -- and no job security.

Margaret Buckeridge, Griffith University branch president of the National Tertiary Education Industry Union, told Green Left Weekly that the public sector as a whole recently won a 4.1% pay increase, while the NTEU has received nothing. Last year there were 1500 more full-time students, while 80 academic workers have lost their jobs.

QUT staff members held rolling strikes August 1 to August 6 over a pay offer of 5.5% over three years. The NTEU's Barbara Williams told Green Left Weekly that the union had been negotiating with the administration since December 1998 but had made little ground. The NTEU had been building the campaign over the past four months with “extremely successful” faculty by faculty strikes that resulted in around 90% of scheduled classes not being held.

UQ academics, general staff members and students held an early morning picket and 100-strong afternoon rally on August 5. Academic and general staff have rejected a 2.5% annual pay offer that would erode conditions.

The NTEU pointed out that UQ management has refused to compensate staff for increases in workloads and larger class sizes over the past few years. The NTEU action was supported by the UQ Student Union, whose president, Matt Carter, addressed the rally.

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