Curtin, Murdoch staff to vote on strikes

Staff at Curtin University, along with their counterparts from Murdoch University, have been granted protection for planned industrial action over wage disputes.

Fair Work Australia has approved the National Tertiary Education Industry Union from both universities to hold a secret ballot for union members to vote on industrial action.

Last week, more than NTEU members from Murdoch voted in favour of the secret ballot, which the union said was necessary after the university refused a 20 per cent pay rise over three years.

Staff at Curtin are calling for a 7 per cent per annum pay rise over three years.

Ballots for both universities will be held within the next week, and will be open for a two week period.

NTEU Curtin University Branch president Jan Sinclair-Jones said members will be voting on one hour and 24 hour stop work actions, a ban on university meetings and a ban on recording and publishing student results.

The planned industrial action coincides with a national NTEU campaign.

WA Business News understands that no other Perth universities are targeted.