By Helen Jarvis
SYDNEY — Members of the National Tertiary Education and Industry Union (NTEU) at two universities in Sydney this week indicated that they are not willing to lose conditions and will fight to achieve pay increases. Their colleagues at other universities in NSW and the ACT have achieved rises of up to 18%.
At the University of NSW on February 12, a militant meeting of around 400 academic staff rejected out of hand the "insulting and aggressive" offer from management of 11.45% over 27 months with an assumption that academics will undertake weekend work and a third summer teaching session with no extra pay.
Union members voted to give management until February 17 to come up with a significantly improved offer with no loss in conditions, or a meeting on February 19 will consider taking industrial action. If a decent offer is not forthcoming they see no point in limited bans or a one-day strike, favouring a complete shutdown of the university at the start of the teaching year on March 3.
At Macquarie University the following day some 75 academic staff voted to consider the management offer of 15% over 30 months, but to reject any cuts to existing conditions, particularly leave entitlements which seem to be under threat.
Settlements achieved at other universities are being viewed as absolute bottom lines below which other union branches are refusing to go and a new mood of militancy is emerging among university staff because management is failing to make acceptable offers.
Meanwhile, the NTEU national executive on January 28 voted to give full and active support to the national day of action against education cuts proposed by the National Union of Students for March 26. The executive will consider national industrial action and a possible joint staff-student national day of action.