Management goes it alone – with the union opposing

The university offer includes an 11 per cent pay rise across the life of the agreement, short of the National Tertiary Education Union’s 15 per cent national ask.

Management also points to improved leave entitlements and a staff right to request flexible/remote work.

However the union calls the pay offer “paltry … with inflation forecast to hit 8 per cent” and points to other unmet demands, including 100 new academic positions for casuals.

University managements that put offers to staff that unions oppose rarely win – while the majority of university workforces are not unionists they listen to the comrades on pay and conditions.  But Curtin U has been hanging tough in these negotiations. Last year it opposed the union holding a member ballot on taking industrial action –  the Fair Work Commission knocked it back on appeal.

The university now says, negotiations are “at a standstill, despite the best efforts of both bargaining teams” and that a vote is, “in the best interests” of staff,  so all “can have their say.”

To which NTEU branch president, Scott Fitzgerald responds, “we want to work to fix the problems identified by Curtin staff but the move to a non-union ballot avoids this.” AsPro Fitzgerald adds the pay offer is “well below” those at Australian Catholic U, Uni Tasmania  and QU and “will see Curtin staff real income go backwards.”