Strike in Footscray VUT

indonesia / philippines / australia | education | news report Saturday February 28, 2009 18:27 by Dmitri (MACG - personal capacity) - Anarkismo

Support the strike

The strike is a last resort because the University management has refused to negotiate with the staff union.

Why are Victoria University staff going on Strike?

* Staff are facing the largest ever mass-sacking in Australian university history

* Over 270 staff face the sack - this is a quarter of teaching staff and a fifth of general staff.

* University management did not consult staff or students.

* The strike is a last resort because the University management has refused to negotiate with the staff union.

Victoria University, Footscray Park Thursday morning 2 days strikes indefinitely

* Week 2: Thurs 5 March & Fri 6 March

* Week 3: Tues 10 March & Wed 11 March
* Week 4: Mon 16 March & Fri 20 March

NTEU members voted on 23 and 24 February to take three weeks of strike action in furtherance of a new collective agreement that would guarantee job security. Members voted to take strike action on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 February, and Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 March.

Further action is to be taken on Monday 16 March and Friday 20 March if the management of the university do not seriously engage in negotiations for a new collective agreement that will guarantee job security and regulated workloads.

http://www.nteu.org.au/bd/vu

STRIKE ACTION!

Member meetings on 23 and 24 February passed the following motions in support of industrial action:

Motion 1

That we, Victoria University’s staff, record our dismay at the University management’s failure to negotiate a settlement with the Union that would restore job security, acceptable workloads, a fair pay outcome, and decent working conditions for all staff. Management’s refusal to negotiate such a settlement means that VU’s general and academic staff are all at risk from the largest program of lay-offs, proportionally speaking, in Australian university history — and that the workloads of staff who remain will become a serious risk to the health, safety, and morale of staff in direct conflict with VU’s Health and Wellbeing policies and philosophy. Noting the impending release of the federal government’s response to the Bradley review and the University’s $17 million surplus in 2008, we are convinced that the proposed lay-offs are unnecessary.

Further, the changes to workloads are drawing staff time away from the core business of the University, while ongoing faculty restructures will reduce the productivity of general staff and reduced opportunities for sessional staff will undermine the University’s long-term staff development. This meeting reiterates its lack of confidence in the Vice-Chancellor and the senior management of the University.

Motion 2

That we, the Victoria University Branch of the National Tertiary Education Union, resolve to take rolling strike action in the form of two consecutive 24-hour strikes at all campuses in each week, commencing in Week 2 of First Semester until further notice. Strike action will be staggered across a roster of days each week, in order to maximise the pressure on University management and minimise the impact on particular groups of students and staff.

The strike action will be taken on the following dates: Week 2: Thursday 5 March Friday 6 March

Week 3: Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 March

Week 4: Monday 16 and Friday 20 March This meeting directs the Branch officers to convene a meeting of members in the week starting 16 March, to review management’s response to date and to agree on dates for further strike action. If genuine and significant progress is made in negotiating our claims, this meeting authorises the Branch President to suspend or vary the above schedule of strike action.

Finally, we note this is the first time that staff have ever taken such significant rolling strike action at an Australian university — but we also note that no Australian university has ever before treated its staff and students with such contempt.

Office Location: 32 Federal Street, (corner of Tiernan and Federal Streets - enter via carpark in Tiernan Street) Footscray Park Campus, Telephone: 9919 4076, Fax: 9919 4019, email: vu@nteu.org.au Postal address: National Tertiary Education Union Victoria University Branch Footscray Park Campus c/- Victoria University PO Box 14428 Melbourne 8001