Union, sector clash on pay

THE first NTEU log of claims since 2002 has requested a 9 per cent pay rise for university staff each year for the next three years.

THE first National Tertiary Education Union log of claims since 2002 has been served up, requesting a 9 per cent pay rise for university staff each year for the next three years.

So far the claims have been made against the Australian National University and the University of Ballarat, but NTEU general secretary Grahame McCulloch said the rest of the universities would be approached by the end of May.

Representing the universities, Australian Higher Education Industrial Association executive director Ian Argall said the log was out of touch with reality. "NTEU claims that universities can afford big pay increases are based on wishful thinking about improvements in university funding under a Rudd Labor Government," Mr Argall said.

"There have been no announcements about increases to higher education funding.

"Universities simply cannot afford to gamble on these matters.

"It's well beyond realistic expectations in any sector of the Australian economy and there is no justification for it."

Mr McCulloch rejected the AHEIA's allegation that the claim, which is to cover 2008-11, was extraordinary. "While it's true the claim is slightly higher than last time, it is only by one percentage point per year," MrMcCulloch said.

The previous claim was negotiated in 2002 to cover 2003-06, but was extended to 2008, and the agreed outcome averaged just more than 5 per cent a year across all universities, although it varied between universities from 22.5 per cent over three years to 32 per cent.

Mr McCulloch was optimistic that negotiations would prosper in the atmosphere of the federal Labor Government.

"We will have our differences but they will not be imposing the same restrictions as did the Howard government," he said.

"We are an internationally competitive sector, with a high level of academic mobility, so we have to have a mind to highly competitive rates on offer in the Asia-Pacific region and the US. We are also due for a significant pay rise because of the huge increase in productivity over the past decade: the student-staff ratios are much greater."

Mr Argall said the case for a "catch-up" pay increase did not bearanalysis.

Mr McCulloch said the new round of negotiations was about conditions as well as money.

The union would seek the reinstatement of its ability to regulate the incidence of fixed term and casual appointments. It wanted to restore protections and entitlements including those to do with redundancy, unsatisfactory performance and serious misconduct.

The NTEU also hoped to have its role as the authentic representative of members restored in the text of agreements with universities.

Mr McCulloch said a key emerging area for negotiation was the careers of young researchers.

"There is a high incidence of unstable and poorly rewarded employment for young staff employed in research," he said.