Monash staff strike

Hundreds of academic staff and campus workers at Monash University have struck in support of their industrial demands. The half-day strike, on 4 March, was the latest episode in enterprise agreement negotiations that have dragged on for over 18 months. That management has refused to budge for this long demonstrates its contempt for the university’s workers.

Two picket lines were set up at the university’s Clayton campus, and the day’s actions culminated in a 250-strong rally outside the vice-chancellor’s headquarters. Well more than 50 students joined the pickets and rally to back staff claims.

The workers, represented by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), are fighting about three key issues. The first is the increasing casualisation of the workforce; more and more workers in the tertiary sector are having their jobs renewed only on a casual basis. Casual contracts curtail workers’ rights and entitlements as well as imposing a real sense of insecurity. “I was once asked to teach an entire 13-week unit, with three days’ notice. I couldn’t say no; I would have been fired”, explained one worker on the picket line.

The second issue the union is agitating about is management’s proposal to extend regular working hours. It wants the right to dictate that shifts can begin at 7am and finish at 9pm and to direct that staff work during summer trimesters. Also in management’s sights are current staff-student ratios.

The third point of contention is the university’s pay offer. At 2.5 percent a year over three years, the offer barely keeps pace with inflation. Management is also refusing to backdate any increase to July 2012, when the previous agreement expired.

The union’s demands are vital to protect the rights of workers and the quality of education at Monash. That management refuses to even countenance the NTEU’s basic demands only shows that staff and students have a fight on their hands, one that needs to be taken up with gusto if we are to safeguard our education.