Sue Bull, Ballarat
Staff at the University of Ballarat have rejected a second non-union enterprise bargaining agreement proposed by management. In a November 22-23 ballot, staff voted 401 to 323 to "reject", with a large number not voting.
The proposed agreement offered an 18% pay increase conditional on the university obtaining additional Commonwealth funding linked to workplace "reform", and maintaining the university's income and student numbers at 2005 levels. It removed the protection of many staff entitlements.
Staff rejected a very similar proposal last month, but after unsuccessful discussions between the unions and university management, vice-chancellor Kerry Cox unexpectedly produced the second proposal.
National Tertiary Education Union leaders welcomed the outcome of the second ballot. Victorian division secretary Matthew McGowan said the NTEU had received consistent feedback over many months that staff want a collective agreement that protects their employment conditions and has been properly negotiated with elected staff and union representatives. "This is especially so at the moment, when the federal government is radically changing the industrial relations laws. Kerry Cox's rejected agreements are a good example of how much more vulnerable staff will be without the protections of a negotiated, union-based collective agreement", he said.
NTEU branch president Jeremy Smith told Green Left Weekly, "This was an incredible win for us. Management put forward an offer that tried to entice staff, but people mostly stuck with the union's campaign for a negotiated agreement that protects conditions."
Smith said the battle is now on to resist Australian Workplace Agreements. "Without doubt, this will be their next step. However, our union membership has just reached an all-time high so we are in a good position to hold the line here."
Messages of solidarity can be emailed to <nteu@ballarat.edu.au>.
From Green Left Weekly, December 7, 2005.
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