Victoria U management says no Christmas gifts but a happy new year

The enterprise bargaining stalemate at Victoria University will continue into 2019, however management is signalling what it will offer.

With management and the campus branch of the National Tertiary Education Union failing to reach agreement the university put an offer direct to staff in September. This went down, in no small part to the union’s adamant opposition, in a screaming heap – some 77 per cent of staff voting rejected the offer, (CMM September 25).

But now the university says it will put a new offer to staff in the new year. DVC Marcia Devlin tells staff, “we asked you for your feedback on how we can improve the proposed agreement. You responded and we listened.” In particular, she points to;

* Staff having to take compulsory leave over Christmas. “The vice chancellor will be making an announcement about the Christmas close down period early next week, she says.

* More money: “We are currently analysing projected student demand, student load, end of financial year results and other factors to ensure we can afford a greater pay increase.”

“We will come back to you in the new year with an offer that we hope you will endorse so that we can begin to enjoy the improving fortunes of VU,” she adds.

Professor Devlin makes no mention as to whether the second offer will be put to staff regardless of the union’s position. The NTEU has bans in place on a range of marking administration (results direct to students), professional development and teaching (capped at 12 hours a week) tasks.


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