Staff protest rally at University of Auckland
A protest rally will be held outside the University of Auckland Registry, Princess St., Auckland between 12 noon and
2.00 pm on Tuesday 15 March 2005.
This relates to the actions of the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon who has refused to enter
bargaining for national collective employment agreements for university staff and, in a move which is seen by the
Association of University Staff as an attack on the unions, has offered non-union staff at the University a salary
increase of 4.5 percent.
The media release below, sent out Friday, contains further details.
Auckland attempts to scuttle national university wage bargaining
Staff members at the University of Auckland are furious at their Vice-Chancellor's attempts to scuttle national
collective bargaining by offering non-union staff a 4.5 percent salary increase on the eve of union negotiations. The
Vice-Chancellor, Stuart McCutcheon, has also refused to enter national bargaining negotiations with the university
unions, saying that he will only negotiate an Auckland University agreement.
Non-union staff members at the University of Auckland were today offered the 4.5 percent pay rise, effective from 1 May
2005, without any negotiation and without notice to the unions. Those staff will be given the pay rise unless they
specifically inform the University they do not wish to receive it.
Speaking on behalf of the combined university unions, the Association of University Staff (AUS) National President,
Professor Nigel Haworth, said that the refusal of University of Auckland to enter national multi-employer bargaining
compromised the sector's collective ability to resolve the long-standing underfunding of New Zealand universities and
the consequent inadequate salary levels.
“The union views the offer to non-union staff as a clearly calculated attempt by Stuart McCutcheon to undermine the
proposed national bargaining with unions,” said Professor Haworth. “It is a direct attack on the choice of that
University's staff to belong to and bargain through a union, and is exceptionally poor employment practice. It is also a
clear breach of good faith.”
Professor Haworth said that the Vice-Chancellor's action was more questionable given that he had not indicated his
intentions in an open and frank discussion about bargaining with AUS officials earlier in the week. “For a State Sector
employer, who is also Chair of the New Zealand Vice Chancellors Committee, this is an extraordinary way to respond to
his responsibilities,” he said. “His actions are in direct contravention to the Government's expectations and intentions
in terms of building good employment relationships and collective bargaining.”
Professor Haworth also warned that the actions of the Vice-Chancellor were destined to lead to industrial unrest at
Auckland . “The Government has acknowledged that universities have missed out on their share of public funding, and that
salaries have suffered as a result. We will not stand back and let Stuart McCutcheon undermine the collective sectoral
approach to resolving funding and salary problems,” he said
National discussions between university employers and unions are scheduled to get underway on 15 March.
ENDS