Strike Extended At University Of Auckland

Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland students waiting for final grades may have to wait longer as academic staff who are members of Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union extend their strike for another week.

The strike is a ban on entering and releasing student marks or course marks into any student management system, which first commenced at 7pm on Monday 14 November and is now due to end at 5pm on Thursday 1 December.

TEU Kaiwhakahaere | Organiser Adam Craigie says “as we’ve previously stated, we understand that this action will cause inconvenience to students, and our members would much rather be meeting student needs than taking strike action, but we have been left with no choice by an employer that refuses to budge from their unacceptable position.”

“The choice rests entirely with the Vice Chancellor. She should instruct her negotiating team to return to the table with an offer that delivers a fair pay rise without removal of conditions for future staff so that everyone can return our full focus to serving students.”

Meanwhile, the grinch who stole Christmas made a brief appearance at a lunchtime rally outside the University of Auckland Clocktower yesterday to present TEU members with a bag of coal to symbolise the poor treatment of staff by the employer as we head into December.

In response, Adam Craigie said “our members are tired of being treated like they are on Santa’s naughty list. It’s time for the employer to stop being a grinch, start listening to us and properly recognise staff for all the great work they do.”

The professional (non-academic) staff strikes, which were a ban on entering and releasing student marks or course marks into any student management system and a ban on working more than the ordinary hours of work defined in the collective agreement, have concluded. It is hoped that this show of goodwill from TEU members will result in a return to the negotiation table.

© Scoop Media