Staff resist individual contracts

Staff resist individual contracts

By Nikki Ulasowski

HOBART — General staff at the University of Tasmania have formed an industrial action committee to oppose an attempt by the vice-chancellor to introduce individual contracts as part of a new enterprise bargaining agreement.

The federal minister for education David Kemp has offered universities a 2% funding increase if they offer individual contracts to staff. Four universities have so far embarked on such a course: the University of Tasmania, Northern Territory University and Murdoch and Curtin universities in Perth.

The University of Tasmania's management are also seeking to abolish paid overtime in return for a 6% pay rise over three and a half years.

Resistance activist and University of Tasmania student Rohan Pearce called on his fellow students to actively support the general staff's demands.

From GLW issue 397