University of Canberra staff drop bans

By Pat Brewer

CANBERRA — At a stop-work meeting on October 16, National Tertiary Education and Industry Union and Community and Public Sector Union members unanimously agreed to drop industrial bans as a sign of good faith in stalled enterprise bargaining negotiations at the University of Canberra.

Management refused to continue negotiations after staff rejected an offer of an 8.6% wage increase over 24 months with the loss of many conditions. Management then lodged the dispute with the Arbitration Commission where the unions were directed to lift their bans.

Meanwhile, UCAN vice-chancellor, Don Aiken, tried to side-step the whole process with a crudely formulated questionnaire emailed to all continuing staff members soliciting a choice between the NTEU 1994 wage claim of 15%, the 8.6% offer, no wage increase or a wage cut to minimise projected staff cuts.

In an attempt to appear objective Aiken said the survey results would be collated by the Conflict Resolution Centre on campus. However, when the CPSU, whose members staff this centre, realised the nature of the scam they refused to have anything to do with the process.

The dropping of bans is subject to management re-opening the bargaining process and satisfactory progress being made, otherwise staff will consider the imposition of a further series of bans, including on the transmission of final results.

Unfortunately, Student Representative Council president, Renee Brooks, while correctly pointing out how students were suffering under the bans, publicly blamed the union and allowed herself to become a party to the case against the union in the arbitration commission.

From GLW issue 251