Victorian university workers unite to address crisis of working conditions

Victorian university workers will this week take action against pervasive job insecurity, excessive working hours and workload, and pay failing to keep pace with costs-of-living pressures. On Wednesday university workers across the State will take concerted action to address this crisis in working conditions. Workers at five universities will take protected industrial action (Deakin University; Federation University; La Trobe University; Monash University; University of Melbourne) while workers at the remaining universities will take other action in solidarity – all will come together for a rally at Victorian Trades Hall. These workers will be seeking working conditions vital for high standards of teaching and research through enterprise agreements that provide for: · Continuing employment as the norm with enforceable targets; · Fair workload and working hours; and · Real pay increases. NTEU Victorian Division Secretary, Sarah Roberts said: “Victorian universities are operating upon an insecure workforce model with five out of eight universities having a majority of their workforce in casual and fixed-term employment. Ongoing work is regularly insecure, with long-serving workers subject to rolling contracts. Job insecurity damages the quality of teaching and research. “Insecure employment allows wage theft to flourish. Four Victorian universities are amongst the worst culprits.” (University of Melbourne; RMIT University; Monash University; La Trobe University). NTEU Victorian Assistant Secretary Professor Joo-Cheong Tham said: “A culture of excessive workload and working hours plagues Victorian universities. Many full-time employees work more than 50 hours per week and many part-time employees work full-time hours. There are staff working during holidays and long service leave and not taking sick leave when ill. “Universities are now hot beds of shameful industrial practice and exploitation.”