Vic: University staff plan strike action

AAP General News (Australia)
12-10-1999
Vic: University staff plan strike action

MELBOURNE, Dec 10 AAP - Staff at two of Melbourne's biggest universities are planning
major industrial action over pay and conditions.

The National Tertiary Education Union issued a statement tonight saying its members
at Monash and Swinburne universities were preparing to take action which would disrupt
classes.

At stopwork meetings at Monash University this week members voted for an industrial
campaign including a demonstration outside the International Students Graduation ceremony
on December 17 and stike action.

NTEU Victorian Division Secretary Cathy Caruso said if university management failed
to negotiate before Christmas, staff would strike for 48 hours during the first weeks
of semester one next year.

And staff at Swinburne are planning action which will disrupt exam results, the university
Open Day and enrolments.

"We will continue to fight moves to close courses and reduce staff on Victorian campuses,"

Ms Caruso said in a statement.

"Over the next few months we are planning to make life rather uncomfortable for the
Vice-Chancellor if he proceeds with these plans."

Meanwhile RMIT's company, RMIT International, has also stirred up staff with union
members planning a three-day strike beginning on December 15.

NTEU Victorian Division Assistant Secretary Michael Pegg said the dispute was over
pay and conditions.

"The University has to decide whether its company is just there to make a fast buck
from international students, or whether it is committed to investing in its quality staff
in order to continue to deliver quality service for international students," he said.

"Although a revised pay offer has been received, it would still leave many staff being
paid thousands of dollars less than similar staff elsewhere at RMIT," he said.

AAP hmg/cjh

KEYWORD: UNIVERSITIES

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