UNSW staff win rise
By Helen Jarvis
SYDNEY — UNSW academic staff appear to have won significant gains as a result of their strong campaign, including scheduling a strike for March 3 and 4, at the beginning of the academic year.
After stalling for months, at the last moment management came up with what seems to be an acceptable offer, and the strike was called off. Management was given until March 21 to formalise the offer; otherwise industrial action will be resumed.
With 13.09% over 22 months from January 1, UNSW academic staff appear to have won one of the best salary catch-up deals in the country, while not being forced to give up conditions.
Management had placed a series of savage cutbacks in conditions on the table (including weekend work, a third term with no extra pay and easier dismissal procedures). These have been averted at least temporarily, and neither is the pay increase to be linked to individual performance, as had been proposed.
It is obvious that the gains were made solely because of the strength of resolve shown in three meetings of more than 400 academic staff, strong support from the Student Guild for the action and plans being made to cancel classes and inform students and the public of the just demands. It is unfortunate that similar united and determined action was not taken by the main Kensington campus in opposition to the closure of the St George campus and other cuts last year, when logic and polite requests achieved nothing.