Deakin University staff to take stop work action, Enterprise Agreement ballot results revealed

A return to the bargaining table is hoped by the Deakin University union branch, after the results of an Enterprise Agreement ballot were revealed.

NTEU Deakin branch president Dr Piper Rodd says the Enterprise Agreement ballot result was “really good news” for staff and students. Picture: Supplied

• Deakin puts EA proposal to staff vote
• Union applies for protected industrial action

The tertiary union is hoping to return to the bargaining table with Deakin University over pay and conditions, after an Enterprise Agreement proposal was rejected.

Deakin put its proposed EA directly to a staff vote after bargaining discussions with its National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) branch reached an “impasse”.

The university and union had been in EA discussions since October 2022.

According to an email from vice chancellor Iain Martin to all faculty members, the majority of voting staff voted against the proposed EA, with 62 per cent voting “no”.

“It was important to give staff an opportunity to vote on the proposed agreement after more than six months of negotiations,” Prof Martin said in the email.

Deakin University vice chancellor Iain Martin said the university management would take the “necessary time” to consider the results of the ballot. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

“We will now take the necessary time to consider the result and our next steps.

“The outcome of the ballot means (staff) EA terms and conditions remain unchanged and will remain in accordance with the 2017 EA, but there will be no pay increment or additional leave implemented.”

The proposed EA offered a nine per cent pay increase over three years and a reduction in working hours of 30 less per year, among other benefits.

NTEU Deakin branch president Dr Piper Rodd, who also teaches at the university, said the ballot outcome was “really good news” and “should not have come as a surprise” to management.

She said while only 20 per cent of Deakin staff were NTEU members, the voting outcome showed non-members were listening to the union’s calls for better conditions.

“We’re really hoping that we’ll get back to the bargaining table really quickly, hopefully next week, in order to come to a … new negotiated agreement that improves conditions and a pay,” Dr Rodd said.

“This is good news for all the workers, and our students, because it means that management has to listen to what their workers are saying.

“Deakin management has to now listen to the fact that there is some serious distrust and discontent amongst their workforce.”

Meanwhile, Deakin NTEU branch members will be among staff from five universities participating in protected industrial action on May 3.

Dr Rodd said there would be stop work action for about four hours and rallies with staff from other universities – Federation University, La Trobe University, Monash University, and University of Melbourne – at Victorian Trades Hall.

There is expected to be some local action.

Dr Rodd said the action would hopefully draw attention to the issues universities were facing.

“We want public awareness that this is not a single university issue of working conditions and casualisation and cost of living pressures,” Dr Rodd said.

“This is a system-wide, cross-institutional concern.”

Dr Rodd said union members would continue to take industrial actions “until management begins to take our negotiation seriously”.

Originally published as Deakin University staff to take stop work action, Enterprise Agreement ballot results revealed