MEDIA RELEASE
November 11, 2022
National Tertiary Education Union members will launch industrial action across five Queensland universities as anger over unacceptable pay offers intensifies.
QUT workers will walk off the job for a full-day strike on Monday after management proposed a real wages pay cut.
Under the offer, staff would receive 11.2% over three years - well below the soaring cost of living.
The first increase of 4.6 would be delayed until the agreement is approved - possibly as late as mid-2023.
Griffith University NTEU members will stop work on Friday November 18 for 30 minutes to plan rolling stop-work action across the university the following week.
At Griffith, management attempted to sideline the Union by sending an offer directly to all staff.
The proposal included salary increases of just 2.7% a year - totalling 10% over almost four years.
Central Queensland University NTEU members have been implementing rolling stoppages this week.
Members at UQ will stage ‘mark-ins’, with casuals marking assignments together in solidarity to recognise constant exploitation and wage theft.
Protests will be held at James Cook University’s Townsville and Cairns campuses on Tuesday after pledged to lock out staff who implemented low-level bans with little impact on students.
Quotes attributable to NTEU Queensland Secretary, Michael McNally:
“University managements need to stop lowballing staff and start negotiating on fair pay rises that keep up with the cost of living.
“Some staff haven’t had a pay rise for more than a year yet management is still trying to defer an increase.
“Griffith thinks it can buy staff off with a $1000 sign-on bonus but our members see that for what it is - a cynical bribe that does nothing to address the real issues.
“Staff need real pay rises, not one-off bribes.
“QUT members will show management exactly what they think of their paltry offer when they go on strike on Monday.
“That will send a loud and clear message that QUT must return to the negotiating table with a serious offer.
Quotes attributable to NTEU Griffith Branch President, Kim Walder:
“Griffith plonking a substandard offer on the table, not giving us the opportunity to negotiate, and sending it out to all staff was really disrespectful. Our members are angry about that.
“Ten percent over nearly four years is simply not good enough. Staff won’t cop that.
“We’d need that over two years to even come close to skyrocketing cost of living increases.”
Media Contacts
NTEU Queensland Secretary, Michael McNally – 0423 538 721
NTEU Griffith Branch President, Kim Walder – 0413 101 795