At last week’s Enterprise Bargaining meeting, management continued to refuse our key proposals for badly needed reforms to working conditions at the university. On our vital claims for job security and collegial change management, they refused outright to even engage with our ideas. They have also still not withdrawn their proposal to force academics to negotiate their research-teaching balance annually with their supervisor – the most serious threat to staff rights at the university for many years.
This leaves us with little choice other than to initiate a campaign of industrial action, as authorised by the protected ballot which closes tomorrow. Given our commitment to member-led decision-making, we will be asking you to vote to endorse a strike on Wednesday 11 May of 24 hours’ duration, and to consider the option of extending it into a 48 hour strike on Thursday May 12. We will also be asking you to vote on a possible further strike in week 13 if sufficient progress at bargaining is not made.