The University of Melbourne Branch of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) will meet on Thursday, August 6 to vote on if they will proceed with industrial action.

If approved, the industrial action would involve a half-day work stoppage of all members at the University of Melbourne during week 5, near the end of August.

This comes after months of unsuccessful bargaining with the University, as NTEU has been calling for more rights for the institution’s casual workers. 

This includes paid sick and personal leave, and 17% superannuation, in line with their permanent counterparts. Casual staff are currently paid 12% superannuation.

Workloads are another key issue for staff. David Gonzalez, President of the University of Melbourne NTEU Branch, told Farrago about the “crushing workloads” for both academic and professional staff, particularly during periods with large amounts of marking. 

The branch is calling for workloads to be significantly reformed, with Academic Workload Committees established in each faculty, comprising of at least 50% non-management staff. These committees would set workloads using evidence-based models and in consultation with staff. 

Gonzalez identifies “academic control over workloads” as essential, rather than being decided by people who "have no concept of actually what’s going on on the ground.”

The previous two-year enterprise agreement (EA) expired in April 2026, with negotiations for a new agreement commencing last November.

Other claims include standalone reproductive health leave, a four-day work week for professional staff, and safeguards against AI.

Image source: NTEU