Murdoch staff ramp up industrial action

Disagreement over pay and conditions between management and staff at Murdoch University has escalated, with union members today agreeing to withhold student results.

The announcements are below:

NTEU statement

A meeting of members of the National Tertiary Education Union at Murdoch University today decided unanimously to withhold student results, including those of all external and overseas students, as part of their campaign for improved working conditions and salaries.

Since taking strike action in September, NTEU members have been hopeful that university management would adopt a more positive attitude and commit to salary increases, greater job security and a range of other improvements in conditions. Murdoch staff are paid salaries well below those of their colleagues at UWA, Edith Cowan and Curtin.

"We had hoped that university management would finally present us with reasonable offers," said Janice Dudley, NTEU Murdoch Branch President. "Unfortunately, they have not and they are now claiming that they need another 6 to 12 months to plan for salary increases."

Ms Dudley continued, "We have been negotiating patiently for more than a year already and now management are asking us to wait for up to another year. That would be 28 months after the previous agreement expired. That sort of delay is clearly unacceptable. They have left us little choice but to take further industrial action."

Also at today's NTEU meeting was Basha Stasak, President of the Murdoch Guild of Students.

"The NTEU's campaign is in the best interests of Murdoch University and its students," said Ms Stasak. "Murdoch staff demonstrate a high level of commitment to students, but in order for staff to support students properly, the staff themselves need to be supported by their management. This is clearly not happening at Murdoch."

Today's decision means that bans will start at Murdoch from next Wednesday.

Murdoch Uni statement

"Only a small percentage of Murdoch staff are union members and previously only 13% of Murdoch staff voted for industrial action (even fewer took industrial action) so disruption will again likely be minimal.

Contrary to NTEU rhetoric Murdoch staff received regular pay rises and will continue to do so. Staff received a 4% pay rise in June 2009 and will receive another 4% salary rise in 2010. In a first for university staff in WA, each Murdoch staff also received a $1000 bonus last December.

Bonuses are under consideration for this December.

It is difficult to understand in the current economic climate how in the NTEU's words they expect Murdoch 'to adopt a more positive attitude and commit to salary increases' when the University has already made significant commitments to salary increases for next year.

The NTEU position promotes job losses and course reductions to support higher salaries. This is not a view shared by the University and doesn't seem to be in the interest of all staff and students.

The University will be taking action to minimise any inconvenience or damage to students. "