Deakin University staff go on 24-hour NTEU-backed strike over Enterprise Agreement

A Deakin worker has revealed what it’s like for staff amid EA discussions, after a 24-hour strike was held on Thursday.

Deakin union members protested at the Waterfront campus amid a 24-hour strike – the first time in 10 years Deakin workers have elected to go on strike. Picture: Alan Barber

A Deakin worker has revealed the hurt, anger, and frustration he feels with his employer amid stalled Enterprise Agreement negotiations leading to a 24-hour strike on Thursday.

Eric Stacey is a full-time senior system administrator at Deakin’s Waterfront campus, and was among the workers involved in a strike this week.

It was the first time in a decade Deakin workers had elected to go on a 24-hour strike.

Mr Stacey, 41, said he had worked at the university collectively for 17 years, and had seen good people leave because of pay and work conditions.

He said what Deakin was offering staff in the EA was “substandard”.

Professional staff member Eric Stacey said there were multiple factors beyond pay that the university needed to address. Picture: Alan Barber

“They’re not even close to the cost of living increases that we’re all getting right now,” Mr Stacey said.

“It’s about pay, yes, but it’s also about some of things that they’ve been doing to us, or they’re trying to do now in this new educational world, where working from home is more usual standard … they’re trying to stop that.

“There’s multiple things beyond pay that they are attacking us on.”

Mr Stacey said staff were tired and burnt out from years of the same situation.

He said the Covid-19 pandemic and the restructure the university went through had compounded those feelings.

“The staff are scared that another restructure might come,” he said.

The 24-hour strike on Thursday marked the first time in ten years that Deakin workers had voted to strike. Picture: Alan Barber

“They’re scared they don’t have a secure future with Deakin.

“It hurts, it’s frustrating, it’s disappointing.”

Mr Stacey said despite the difficulties staff were currently facing, the majority were looking to see the university succeed, especially with big developments like the India campus in the works.

But he said this needed to happen alongside staff being paid well for a reasonable workload.

“It’s a bad time right now, but we are optimistic that it will improve,” he said.

In a bargaining update video from July 14, NTEU Deakin branch president Piper Rodd said “significant” progress was being made in recent weeks.

“Management is moving on some of the key issues that we have really been pressing them hard on,” Dr Rodd, who also teaches at the university, said in the video.

“Notably, there has been some movement on the creation of roles aimed at decasualising our workforce.

“But we would note there are … not nearly enough of those roles being tagged … (as) properly constituted academic roles, meaning that people have the opportunity to do teaching, research and service and develop genuine career trajectories.

“We stressed the point that teaching-only positions are effectively unsustainable and present real concerns to us as a union about occupational health and safety – burn out, essentially.”

Deakin was contacted but said it had no comment to make for now.

What led to strike action

Deakin University workers have gone on a 24-hour strike for the first time in a decade.

About 60 staff turned out for the strike on July 20, which was held at the university’s Waterfront and Burwood campuses after union members “overwhelmingly” voted to take the action.

The 24-hour strike, by National Tertiary Education Union Deakin branch members, comes as discussions between the union and university for a new enterprise agreement reached an “impasse”.

The university and union have been in EA negotiations since October, 2022.

In April, Deakin put forward its proposed EA, not backed by the union, to a staff vote.

The proposal included a nine per cent pay increase over three years – three per cent annually – among other benefits.

It also proposed staff would work about 30 hours less per year.

However in May, it was revealed the ballot was unsuccessful, with 62 per cent of staff rejecting the offer, and the union hoping to return to the bargaining table.

Also in May, NTEU Deakin branch members were among staff from five universities participating in protected industrial action.

In The NTEU Deakin branch website, the union said the 24-hour strike action was taken because “little progress” had been made in EA negotiations.

“Despite the positive tones of some of the meetings, management’s behaviour has disappointed the NTEU,” it said.

“Second, because despite making promises in meetings to consider our claims, the substantive offers being made offer nothing to meet any of our core claims.”

These include a calendar of meetings going forward, workload protection, working from home rights, a commitment to decasualise the university, and improved casual rights.

Deakin was contacted for comment.

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Originally published as Deakin University staff go on 24-hour NTEU-backed strike over Enterprise Agreement