At 11am tomorrow, Wednesday 3rd May, hundreds of University of Melbourne staff will be walking off the job to demand job security and a pay rise to keep up with the rising cost of living. UMSU supports this action and encourages students to join in the strike by not going to class. Students should instead attend the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) rally.
This article was originally circulated as the 02/05/2023 edition of UMSU's President's News, and can be found here.
At 11am tomorrow, Wednesday 3rd May, hundreds of University of Melbourne staff will be walking off the job to demand job security and a pay rise to keep up with the rising cost of living.
UMSU supports this action and encourages students to join in the strike by not going to class. Students should instead attend the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) rally.
UMSU will have a contingent at the rally for students to show their support for staff, meeting at 11am at the New Student Precinct Amphitheatre. We’ll be marching alongside staff to Victorian Trades Hall to join staff and students from across Victoria demanding fair and equitable working conditions for staff at the University of Melbourne and across the tertiary education sector.
The NTEU is the union that represents staff across the higher education and university sectors. Staff make everything at our university run - from teaching classes, marking assignments, delivering support services, and keeping the libraries open. The NTEU are calling for a commitment to 80% secure jobs, a 15% pay rise, manageable workloads, improved parental leave, stronger work-from-home rights, and more.
Unfortunately, the University has refused to grant these basic demands. It insists on giving thousands of staff a real pay cut, and maintaining a hyper-casualised workforce. So staff are taking action!
UMSU has launched a student solidarity campaign because fair and equitable working conditions for University staff are not only essential for their well-being and job satisfaction, but also directly impact the quality of education students receive. As students, we benefit from having highly motivated and experienced University staff who can provide high-quality instruction and support to help us achieve our academic goals. By supporting fair and just working conditions for university staff, we are also advocating for our own education and future success.
You can sign the Student Pledge of Support HERE.
We hope to see many of you tomorrow at 11am at the New Student Precinct Amphitheatre.
Education Public Office Bearer Carlos Lagos Martin
Environment Office Bearer James Gallagher
Endorsed by President Hiba Adam.