Swinburne University staff set to protest over pay rise dispute

Swinburne University staff are set to stage a protest rally at the university as a pay rise dispute heats up.

Swinburne University staff who had their pay docked when they called for a pay rise will descend on the university to protest on Thursday.

Teaching staff will petition at the university for higher superannuation and a new agreement.

The protest comes after staff threatened to launch legal action against Swinburne over its move not to pay all Croydon, Hawthorn and Wantirna campus TAFE staff who refused to carry out their teaching duties as part of industrial action to speed up negotiations.

Swinburne has denied the staff were stood down without pay.

But staff who refuse to record student results, attendance or to attend meetings do not get paid on the days they refuse to perform those tasks.

Swinburne University staff are set to protest at the university. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Representatives from the Australian Education Union (AEU) and the national tertiary union (NTEU) will also attend.

In a statement, the AEU said: “NTEU and AEU TAFE members have been campaigning for a decent pay rise and superannuation in line with their fellow Swinburne workers for almost two years”.

“This move by Swinburne’s management seeks to threaten the provision of TAFE and other educational programs to students,” it said.