NTEU members at James Cook University are facing having their pay docked in retaliation for implementing work bans.
JCU management has advised all staff that any person participating in the industrial action will be effectively locked out.
Members will not be paid while they implement the bans.
Quotes attributable to NTEU Queensland Secretary, Michael McNally:
“No other university in Queensland has responded to our bans in this way in this round of bargaining.
“This is a really heavy-handed response to our members implementing low-level bans that don’t affect students.
“Some of the bans members want to implement are a way of demonstrating members are fed up with delays in bargaining, but that don’t have any impact on students whatsoever.
“I can’t believe a University would choose to lock out an academic who proposes to show a one-slide PowerPoint to their class explaining why the Union is taking industrial action. It would probably be worth testing that on Academic Freedom grounds alone.
Quotes attributable to JCU Branch President, Jonathan Strauss:
“Of course members are angry. At our meeting members voted unanimously to prepare for a full-day strike or two half-day strikes early next year. We would prefer not to affect students, but if management is going to dock our pay, we may as well strike.
“NTEU members are taking this action because JCU management have failed to provide staff with a real pay rise. At the same time, they are cutting staff and refuse our calls for measures to address job insecurity and increasing workloads.
“They sent me a letter today. It told me I would be locked out if I refused to attend a meeting with my supervisor. It’s a shame that management thinks this is the way they should treat their staff.”
