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Industrial action is moving the dial.
This week’s industrial action was a significant milestone in our bargaining campaign, once again demonstrating staff resolve. It clearly showed staff sentiment overwhelmingly favours a rapid resolution of enterprise negotiations on our terms.
There’s no doubt about the strength of member feeling. Over the past week we’ve talked to hundreds of Monash colleagues and students. They’ve told us they support the industrial action.
Staff want better job security, better workplace conditions and a decent pay rise. There are so many ways that the poor work environment at this university hurts us – whether it’s the lack of sick leave for casual staff, the crippling insecurity of rolling contracts, debilitating workload overloading, or the disastrous “transformations” that slash preparation and consultation time.
But together we are changing the culture of this university. We can't underestimate the power of collective action – of being proudly union, of supporting our colleagues and students in pushing back against managerial overreach, poor governance and overt corporatism.
A lot of colleagues wanted to talk about the $127,000 party.
There’s no doubt our actions are having an impact. All signs suggest that University managers are under pressure to force an agreement.
We had attempted to take our message to Monash University Council – the university’s governing board – with Wednesday's picket and rally. They had scheduled a meeting for Wednesday afternoon at the Chancellery Building.
But Monash Council didn’t want to hear from their own staff. The Council meeting was moved online, and there was no opportunity to put our case about failing governance and deteriorating educational conditions.
That those who have overseen the serious decline in standards at Monash University are unwilling to come face to face with the consequences of their failings raises serious questions about their capacity to lead Monash out of its current crisis.
We will continue our campaign for better governance from Monash University Council. In particular, we will continue to call on Chancellor Simon McKeon to answer crucial questions about who authorised the $127,000 going-away bash, and to push for real action on job security, workloads and pay.
Students support industrial action.
One of the most encouraging aspects of this week’s industrial action was the support shown by students.
The Monash Students’ Association President, Chloe Ward, gave a speech in support of the strike at our rally outside the Chancellery Building. We also met with the President of the Monash Graduates Association, Sahampath Hettiarachchi, who relayed the MGA’s support.
Students we spoke to wanted action on rising class sizes, and the parking fee gouge rolled back. They wanted their teachers to be paid properly, and the library opening hours restored.
We go on about this a lot, but staff working conditions will always be the conditions in which students learn. As one student told us, “we’re fighting for the same thing”.
Bargaining update.
Straight after the strike ended, we took our industrial momentum into enterprise bargaining negotiations.
Given the groundswell of Monash staff action, we might have been forgiven for hoping the University would have been more conciliatory at the bargaining table. But we were soon disabused of any such notions, with the University adopting a renewed intransigence.
Progress wasn’t helped by Monash HR’s rejection of our latest proposal for a clause in the Agreement giving staff a right to work from home. Management would not entertain our simple and quite reasonable suggestions for getting this written in.
We also made what we thought were some pretty sensible proposals around modes of employment, in order to better protect job security. Monash HR rejected these too.
The University tabled some suggestions around better conversion rights for teaching staff on “periodic academic” employment contracts. These were a little more encouraging, but there is a lot of detail we have to work through, particularly around which pay increment can be offered.
Keeping the pressure up.
It’s not surprising University negotiators were grumpy yesterday.
The strike has significantly disrupted a number of university activities. Many classes weren’t taught. Some mid-term assessments was cancelled. A number of research laboratories and professional staff work areas walked out en masse.
The strike also clearly showed that staff are not just going to roll over and accept an inferior agreement.
It's clear that University executives are worried. They have underestimated the strength of staff feeling – we have seized the momentum.
If we can keep building our campaign, together we can drag the University to meaningfully improve our workplace.
Parking campaign continues.
The branch continues our campaign to roll back the parking price gouge, in collaboration with the MGA and MSA.
It’s not just a hip-pocket issue. The parking hikes highlight the inequality of transport access at our campuses. It is particularly unfair for low-income staff and students, working parents and for professional staff working on site.
If you haven’t signed the open letter about the parking fee hikes, you can do that here. We’re over 1500 signatures - let's keep it rolling.
Industrial action resources and FAQs.
This is just a quick reminder that all of our resources, including FAQs on taking protected industrial action are up on our bargaining website: www.nteu.au/bargaining/monash.
You can also get in touch with the Branch at [email protected] for any further questions – we're here to help!
In solidarity,
NTEU Monash Branch
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