USYD Strike (4 Viewers)

[Obvious]

Three lectures and a practical cancelled, we should certainly do this more often.

 

[Arcorn]

I saw that. I don't know why they are complaining. 50 days can equate to almost 3 working months (more like 2.5 working months)


Is that 7% per year? if so, that is more than twice inflation which is huge!!

About 3 times inflation. Inflation is currently at 2.2%.

The way the VC has handled this whole thing has been pretty well done.

 

[ADrew]

Anyone else can't access the uni website? is this related to the strike?

 

[Triangulum]

they get 17% super, why would be whinging!? Also a 7% increase in salary is crazy

The VC's email somehow forgot to mention what the uni's salary offer is - from memory, it's below inflation, so it's effectively asking staff to take an annual pay cut for four years. I guess as part of the negotiations the uni made a deliberately low offer and the union a deliberately high one, with the intent of meeting in the middle, but the breakdown in discussions means no progress has been made. But the strike isn't about pay anyway, it's about the direction of the university e.g. casualisation of teaching, attempts to break the connection between teaching and research, union representation, how redundancies are handled etc. See this from the NTEU strike FAQs-

Management say the 7% pay claim is unaffordable, is that true?

This strike is not about pay, it is about conditions. Make no mistake; management’s focus on the pay is about distraction and avoiding accountability for their stripping staff conditions from the Agreement (see our “This is Why Members are Taking a Stand”).

Nevertheless, treasury forecasts inflation will rise by 5.75% from 2012-2014 and up to 3.5%pa in 2015 and 2016. In other words, around half the NTEU pay claim is needed just to maintain purchase parity for University staff. ... The Union position on pay is clear and unchanged; we will look at an appropriate pay outcome once we have agreed conditions.

 

[Rafy]

Word is almost everybody is crossing the picket lines.

http://vine.co/v/bHtjgV2FJLw

 

[OzKo]

Word is almost everybody is crossing the picket lines.

http://vine.co/v/bHtjgV2FJLw

Yup, pretty much.

Once someone breaks through, it hasn't been too difficult.

I think while the demands for an increase in salary and superannuation are unnecessary, the demands regarding changes in the academic environment are worth hearing out.

Tertiary education is one of those areas where the staff are the most important component of an institution. While I support it being run properly like a business should be, the administration need to be very careful in how they proceed with this.

 

[sinawi]

Almost got raped by a guy with a pink Mohawk trying to break through

 

[OzKo]

If they wanted to endear themselves to the students, blockading the entrances wasn't the answer.

Real asshole move there.

 

[Aysce]

If they wanted to endear themselves to the students, blockading the entrances wasn't the answer.

Real asshole move there.

^

Came from my BIOL1903 lecture in one of my dark moods and that picket fence really pissed me off. Christ.

 

[OzKo]

And deliberately lying to students saying that classes were cancelled to "send a message".

They say "support us, you are supporting your education."

Such hypocrisy.

 

[Arcorn]

The VC's email somehow forgot to mention what the uni's salary offer is - from memory, it's below inflation, so it's effectively asking staff to take an annual pay cut for four years. I guess as part of the negotiations the uni made a deliberately low offer and the union a deliberately high one, with the intent of meeting in the middle, but the breakdown in discussions means no progress has been made. But the strike isn't about pay anyway, it's about the direction of the university e.g. casualisation of teaching, attempts to break the connection between teaching and research, union representation, how redundancies are handled etc. See this from the NTEU strike FAQs-

Management say the 7% pay claim is unaffordable, is that true?

This strike is not about pay, it is about conditions. Make no mistake; management’s focus on the pay is about distraction and avoiding accountability for their stripping staff conditions from the Agreement (see our “This is Why Members are Taking a Stand”).

Nevertheless, treasury forecasts inflation will rise by 5.75% from 2012-2014 and up to 3.5%pa in 2015 and 2016. In other words, around half the NTEU pay claim is needed just to maintain purchase parity for University staff. ... The Union position on pay is clear and unchanged; we will look at an appropriate pay outcome once we have agreed conditions.

Mate, current inflation figures are at 2.2%. The 4% offered is well above inflation.


Also, they came into my lecture this morning and were trying to get us to walk out. Spent like 10 minutes talking, halfway through the lecturer got bored so pulled out his phone and took a picture. No one followed and overall everyone just seemed pissed rather than wanting to get on bored. Pretty much everyone that actually stopped was there to argue with them. The only thing I really agreed with them complaining about was the academic freedom, which the university guaranteed after negotiations.

 

[Macqncheese]

They are asking for way to much. Of course the academic stuff is fine. But the sick days/pay is just to much.

Get a raise more than 3x inflation is huge. Inflation barely peaks on average above 2% anyway.

 

[Arcorn]

They are asking for way to much. Of course the academic stuff is fine. But the sick days/pay is just to much.

Get a raise more than 3x inflation is huge. Inflation barely peaks on average above 2% anyway.

It's funny because they were trying to say that 94% of staff voted for it. About 12% of total staff voted. But yeah, what you said there seems to be the general opinion of people.

 

[Macqncheese]

It's funny because they were trying to say that 94% of staff voted for it. About 12% of total staff voted. But yeah, what you said there seems to be the general opinion of people.

Source? Actually pretty interested (not saying your lying)

 

[Blue Suede]

wait wait i received emails from my lecturers saying stuff was cancelled which implies it was legit, or are you suggesting the people picketing were saying all classes were cancelled?

 

[Arcorn]

Source? Actually pretty interested (not saying your lying)

It was coming from the student left. Some girl quoted it on Alex Dore's status, I then pulled the actual staff figures out and worked that the percentage that voted for the strike in the university was about 12%.

wait wait i received emails from my lecturers saying stuff was cancelled which implies it was legit, or are you suggesting the people picketing were saying all classes were cancelled?

The people on strike were trying to say all lectures were cancelled. And for the ones that weren't they were trying to get students to walk out.

 

[OzKo]

The people on strike were trying to say all lectures were cancelled. And for the ones that weren't they were trying to get students to walk out.

Yup.

While statements like that don't pass with those in the know, it's deliberately misleading to the uninformed.

I was honestly appalled.

 

[Macqncheese]

Yup.

While statements like that don't pass with those in the know, it's deliberately misleading to the uninformed.

I was honestly appalled.

Would they let people pass without fuss? Because being misleading to students is horrible

 

[OzKo]

Would they let people pass without fuss? Because being misleading to students is horrible

If a student approached them, they parted the seas.

 

[Macqncheese]

If a student approached them, they parted the seas.

Haha, love the wording.