More than 500 university workers, members of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), struck from 11am on October 8 before rallying at Queens Gardens in the city.
They came from Magan-djin/Brisbane’s three universities: Griffith; Queensland University of Technology (QUT); and the University of Queensland (UQ). The rally was joined by students and other unionists.
Members of the NTEU branches at all three universities are bargaining on pay and conditions with their universities’ managements. The latter have made either below-inflation pay offers or none at all. Both QUT and UQ managements are trying to have the Fair Work Commission intervene on their behalf, while Griffith’s bosses are saying they will not negotiate until next year.
NTEU members repeatedly said the workers were the ones creating the valuable things universities provide, but are being continually squeezed for money and time by management.
They contrasted this with the recent surpluses declared by UQ and QUT managements, and the spending on buildings by Griffith, including $67 million to purchase a building, opposite the rally site, that did not have the offices needed for university activities.
NTEU members said a fair pay rise would at least maintain the value of their pay against cost-of-living rises.
They are also looking to win equity in superannuation payments for casualised staff and an end to the job cuts and spiralling workloads, including among administrative, other professional and technical staff whose work underpins academics’ teaching and research.
The range of speakers from the union’s three branches — local office bearers, casually-employed activists and others — reflected the on-the-ground activism the bargaining campaigns are achieving.
This rally was larger than a similar one during bargaining four years ago, as the development of workplace organising by the union has started to take hold.
National NTEU president Alison Barnes was the lead speaker, alongside NSW Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi and two student union representatives. Barnes noted that the cross-campus action is inspiring.
