Academics to strike

By Nikki Ulasowski

Wollongong — More than 200 members of the National Tertiary Education and Industry Union (NTEU) and students from Wollongong University met last week to discuss industrial action and the continuing campaign for a 15% pay rise.

The meeting voted to endorse the national campaign for a fully funded 15% pay rise and to oppose the federal government's plans to cut higher education spending. Academics voted to organise a 24-hour strike on May 30, as well as bans on teaching during the week of the strike.

There will also be a picket line organised on the day of the strike and during the week on selected areas around the campus. The NTEU will ask Wollongong University staff members from the CPSU and the LHMWU to honour the picket line.

The meeting also voted to impose bans on teaching in the first week of session two unless progress is made on the wage claim.

Students asked the meeting also to stop lectures on May 16 between 11:30am and 2:30pm, to allow students to attend the protest against VSU and up-front fees being organised by the Education Action Collective. This was passed unanimously.

The Wollongong branch president of the NTEU, Michael Morrissey, commented, "The members are angry with years of falling behind in conditions despite productivity remaining high. The Liberal government has a fetish in economic rationalism and it is anti-intellectual. The future is threatening; however, it is encouraging to see the membership have a go."

From GLW issue 230