Monash University staff to strike for fairer pay, cap on workloads, causing disruptions to classes

Monash University students may face disruptions to their classes when hundreds of staff walk off the job to engage in strike action this week.

Monash University staff are planning to strike on Wednesday for fairer pay and reduced workloads. Picture: Monash Casuals Network

Monash University students could encounter alternative class arrangements on Wednesday when hundreds of staff walk off the job for 24 hours.

Lecturers, tutors, academics and other National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) members employed at the institution will strike from 12pm, following 18 months of negotiations for a 4.5 per cent pay rise, more job security, a cap on academic workloads and the right to work from home.

NTEU secretary of the Victorian division Sarah Roberts said she anticipates a “significant number” of staff will participate in protected industrial action, which will only be called off if university management comes to an agreement.

“We’ve been bargaining for 18 months and people are getting sick and tired of it,” she said.

“The university management decided to spend over $127,000 on a farewell party for (outgoing Vice-Chancellor Margaret Gardner) yet at the same time there’s been more than $10 million in wage theft from casual employees.

Students might be impacted on Wednesday and Thursday when staff strike for fairer pay and capped workloads.

“This is nothing short of a governance failure. It certainly fails the pub text from the staff’s point of view.”

The industrial action will include staff rallying outside the University Council’s Chancellery Building at Monash’s Clayton campus on Wednesday afternoon, before they engage in other strike activities.

They will then picket at the Clayton campus bus terminal from 8.30am Thursday before returning to work at midday, potentially affecting classes for students on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

“We don’t take the decision to embark on industrial action lightly, it’s a big deal,” Ms Roberts said.

“We only take industrial action if there’s no other choice … there will be an impact on students but we will be open to calling it off anytime if the university is open to shifting (an agreement) forward.”

NTEU Monash Branch President Ben Eltham said Prof Gardner’s going-away party was a “graphic example of the governance failures at Monash University”.

“Chancellor Simon McKeon has questions to answer. Who signed off on the party?,” he said.

“Staff are deeply dissatisfied – which is not surprising, given the way this place treats them.

“Workplace insecurity is rampant and real wages are still going backwards. To add insult to injury, they’ve hiked parking charges.”

A Monash University spokesman said the institution remains committed to reaching a fair and equitable agreement with the NTEU “as quickly as possible”.

“We believe all remaining matters can be resolved with continued goodwill and openness to compromise on both sides,” he said.

“The University respects the right of the NTEU to take industrial action. The strike action will, however, not assist in the resolution of the remaining matters under negotiation.

“The University will be open and operating as normal, and we expect any impacts of the industrial action to be minimal.”

Since late 2022, Monash University has had 42 bargaining meetings with the NTEU.