News

University of Sydney Industrial Action Survey

In our last member survey, approximately 80 per cent of members indicated an unwillingness to accept the University’s salary offer.

We reported this back to the University.

At our members’ meeting on Wednesday 22 March we undertook to survey members on their willingness to take industrial action to support a better pay offer.

However, on Thursday 23 the Provost circulated an all staff email related to salary. This email again seeks to paint an egregiously inaccurate picture in relation to the University’s current pay offer and union behaviour in bargaining, and implicates our union inappropriately in delays over academic negotiations.

Notwithstanding the above, it did for the first time indicate a willingness to potentially move on salary should the NTEU accept the current conditions package. We understand that significant progress has been made on one of the most serious academic sticking points – 40/40/20.

There are still no guarantees that a satisfactory amended pay offer will come, so we will still proceed with our survey as discussed in our recent members’ meeting.

However, we will keep you updated on developments in bargaining and will take any adjustment in salary offer to you immediately in the meantime.

In relation to the industrial action survey, there are now three options given this recent information.

They will be:

• To start the process towards taking industrial action in support of a better pay rise;
• To not take industrial action and continue to negotiate in relation to a better pay rise; or
• To await further developments in relation to an increased pay offer once the academic package is settled, as flagged by the University in their email of 23 March.

Please respond to the survey by 28 March 2023 via this link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TV9MLMN

Grant Wheeler
Branch President