Another win for the NTEU
By Jeremy Smith
MELBOURNE — A strike scheduled for November 10 at the Victoria University of Technology was called off after management indicated it would settle an agreement with the National Tertiary Education Industry Union (NTEU).
The "in principle" agreement rolls over all relevant award conditions, ensures the maintenance of the 17% employer contribution to superannuation, maintains workload provisions for academics and extends them for general staff, carries a "no net job losses" clause and delivers a 12% pay rise. The agreement will last for three years.
The settlement is a blow to the federal government, which is using a carrot and stick approach to compel universities to hold out against the NTEU and to seek non-union agreements where possible. If more agreements are struck before the end of the year, the government's position will be weakened.
The VUT victory was largely a result of the threat of industrial action. At many other campuses, however, strike action has not yet produced results, although a dispute at Newcastle University appears close to resolution. Further campaigning will be needed to force university managements to resist government pressure and settle with the NTEU.