BY JEREMY SMITH
BALLARAT — The largest union meetings in the history of the University of Ballarat have supported a proposal for a campaign of industrial action. Meetings at the School of Mines and the Mt Helen campus on November 2 brought together members of the Allied Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, Australian Workers Union and National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU). Nearly 50% of the membership attended meetings or voted by proxy.
The industrial campaign was precipitated by a breakdown in talks over an enterprise agreement. Unions presented a "bottom line" proposal for settlement on October 27, but management's response failed to meet union demands.
Negotiations got stuck on management offers of a 12% salary increase (with 2% of this being conditional on implementing the "guidelines" of federal education minister David Kemp) , job security, equity in superannuation for TAFE general staff, broadbanding of general staff classifications, redundancy provisions for general staff and performance management clauses.
Many of these issues have most impact on the lowest paid workers and the unions have resolved to stand firm on equity. The salary offer is an insult. Ballarat university had the equal lowest wage and conditions increases in Victoria in the last round of enterprise bargaining and the offer of a traded-off rise shows management's disregard for any sort of salary justice.
A groundswell of anger amongst university workers was evident at the meetings, especially amongst general staff. In the last week, the NTEU has recruited new members in unprecedented numbers.
Unity amongst the three unions has been essential to maintaining a strong bargaining position and will be crucial to the implementation of industrial action. The lively meetings voted for bans on the supervision of exams and preparation of exam halls, and on the processing and transmission of results. An open committee will be formed to carry out the campaign.
Messages of support are most welcome and can be sent to <nteu@ballarat.edu.au>.