When union members at the University of Queensland logged on after industrial action yesterday they found an all-staff email from Provost Aidan Byrne. It explained how the university wants to settle the long-running enterprise bargaining dispute and set-out management’s side of the core outstanding issue, extending the span of hours, in which members of the administrative category of professional staff can work their standard shift, to  7am -7pm. “This is an important and necessary change which will help UQ better meet the changing needs of our students. It will also give staff greater flexibility to achieve a work-life balance, recognising that many of us also have carer and parental responsibilities,” Professor Byrne stated. He added the university was also prepared to phase the new hours in over four years.

“We are very concerned that the lack of progress on this issue has significantly delayed finalising the new agreement, headded.

Professor Byrne also included a link to the new pay rates that will kick in if an agreement is reached, presumably to encourage all staff, to consider where their individual interests are.

If UoQ is contemplating putting an offer to a staff  without union agreement this would be a smart way to start the campaign.