UNSW trails other universities in making fair workplace agreements.
Those staff are angry with UNSW management about how long it is taking to negotiate a new collective workplace agreement. All universities that have made agreements on staff conditions so far, have reinstated fair limits on the use of fixed-term staff, and significantly improved pay and conditions for all staff, including casuals. UNSW Management, in contrast, is proposing an agreement which would degrade the quality of its education and research by allowing the unlimited use of fixed-term and casual employment. Fixed-term staff numbers have already grown by 36% in the last four years.
In proposing this, UNSW is seeking to set aside basic award conditions, and retain draconian industrial arrangements introduced by the previous Federal government of John Howard, which have now been abolished. Moreover, it is doing so alone – all of Australia’s other top Universities are taking a different course, and reaching fair agreements with the unions who represent their staff.
If UNSW is the only university unwilling to provide job security, and UNSW trails its competitors in other work conditions, its chances of attracting quality staff and maintaining its academic profile will be threatened.
This is why UNSW staff have now taken the unprecedented step of imposing bans on student results.
This is why senior staff of the University have written to the Vice-Chancellor urging him to break the deadlock.
UNSW staff are committed to delivering excellence in research, teaching and professional administration. All we ask is that our workplace conditions support this.
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[ -2 ] Both sides in this dispute appear to forget that students are clients of UNSW and deserve to be treated with respect. When lectures are canceled students should receive refunds for the services that have not been provided. This happens in other areas - you don't pay for driving/singing/swimming lessons when the instructor doesn't turn up. When students are inconvenienced as they are as a result of this strike then compensation should be forthcoming from the University. With a bit of imagination staff undertaking industrial action can ensure that inconvenience to students is kept to a minimum. When it is obvious that staff are not even trying to mitigate the impacts then students very rightly will be angry. There is a lot of hype and gloss to get students to enrol at UNSW in preference to Sydney, UTS, Macquarie and others. Students have every right to feel betrayed when the reality doesn't match up.
Like • Dislike • Report Abuse[ -5 ] To the students who are complaining about not getting their results back, have you tried talking to your lecturers and/or course coordinator about it? As far as I am aware, there are no prerequisites for semester 2 courses and so your program duration will not be affected and students due to graduate may apply for exemption. Why get your panties in a twist just because you didn't get your grade? In terms of benefit, I'd be a lot happier with less overworked lecturers and tutors. Teaching isn't an easy job and for many lecturers there is also research to be done. I have personally witnessed the lengths in which my lecturers have gone through to ensure that we comprehend every concept presented to us and then to apply it. I am still extremely upset learning that one of my schools' lecturers was stood down for participating in the strike. Our class supported the lecturer in withholding our results and encourage that our results continue to be withheld. I wish the NTEU good luck in their negotiations and trust that the result will be beneficial to both students and teachers.
Like • Dislike • Report Abuse[ +5 ] Withholding results is ridiculous. It only serves to make an enemy of the students and further the distance between the NTEU and UNSW management. This is not a sensible course of action. If you're asking for a pay rise from your employer (and a lower workload to boot), you must provide EVIDENCE of the value you're adding to their business. When a student rings you up to ask for your help, or you stay after a lecture to discuss things, make a note of it - write it down. Then when you can show just how much work you put in, and have the something to back it up you should make your request. However from what I've read all it seems that those of you in the NTEU are doing is jumping up and down and throwing a tantrum like spoiled rotten children - because you want what someone else has got no less. Everyone knows how you treat a child acting like that, and even though it mightn't have been the best course of action by management either, they are right to stand down staff - whether what you're trying to achieve is for the good of UNSW or not.
Like • Dislike • Report Abuse[ +1 ] Wow. That above comment by John suggests that John may require psychiatric and/or police assistance.. unless they are just planning to put like honey on your door knobs and whoopie cushions on your chairs.... but I guess he meant like 'mean arse shit' or something. Good to see all the edumacation is working to make yous more edumacated John... I was pissed off at the fact that I did not recieve my results... until I read up on the issues at hand. Now I am in support of your actions. Without supporting the backbone of this University, it will collapse and lose whatever good reputation it has. It is one of the best investments this university can make. Second best payed doesent sound too bad though? Good luck to you.
Like • Dislike • Report Abuse[ -4 ] I am a student and I do have plenty of sympathy for NTEU's position. I'd be assured to know the NTEU's actions will have direct benefits on my education in the next few years. I note that overworked and underpayed staff do not conduce to a good education, and want student-to-teacher ratios always to be kept low. I'm hearing rumours as well as formal announcements about members of staff being stood down all over the place. Things appear to be ratcheting up. By the by, I myself once went up against an employer who wrongly terminated me. Without student union support I could not have reversed my employer's decision. So I have gratitude for the role of unions. Good luck to the NTEU in negotitation. I hope this is over quickly with the best educational outcomes for us.
Like • Dislike • Report Abuse[ +2 ] I'm a UNSW student and I was a UNSW staff member. What students fail to understand is a fair and equitable workplace agreement is in their best interests. Fixed term contract staff in our school were not re-employed and in many cases their courses were handed to inexperienced and unprepared recruits or the courses were dropped altogether. In both cases it was the students who suffered.
Like • Dislike • Report Abuse[ -7 ] Hi, I'm a UNSW student. During the semester, when tutorials and lectures were cancelled, I was understanding, because I thought you were taking fair actions against the university. I'm considerably less understanding now - furious would be a more accurate word. Congratulations on alienating the student base that would have supported you.
Like • Dislike • Report Abuse[ -7 ] Maybe you shouldn't be using the students like this, who need their results since semester 2 is less than a week away.
Like • Dislike • Report Abuse[ 0 ] I love reading these old internet discussions. They really tell you something about the age. I'm not supposed to do this but just to let you know, the UNSW VC got his way in the end, pretty much. He knew how to play the game. Look at what happened to Fairfax. All gone now of course. After a few years at VC, Prof Hilmer retired and lived a very nice life on the millions he was given by UNSW. Some of the staff left at UNSW didn't do so well. Quite a few stopped working a few years before the VC, but not really because they wanted to. UNSW's ranking has slipped quite considerably and it's reputation as a top international uni hasn't recovered. Still it could've been worse. Look what happened to Cambridge under their old VC, Tony Hayward.
Like • Dislike • Report Abuse[ +4 ] As a staff member, but not one striking (general staff, not academic) I can only say that I support the position taken by the staff withholding results. I, and I'm certain the academics in question, greatly regret any inconvenienc caused to students, the position the uni is taking has required these drastic measures. The professionalism of the staff to restrict these measures must also be noted.
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