Combined University Unions - Media Release
Attn Education/Industrial Reporter 31 August 2006
University employment agreements ratified
New collective employment agreements have been ratified for academic and general staff at seven New Zealand
universities, with the result that the salary increases negotiated as a result of the tripartite discussions among
unions, vice-chancellors and the Government can be implemented.
The settlements follow a lengthy process during the year culminating in the decision by the Government to provide a
funding package of $26 million to universities as an interim step to resolving long-term funding and salary problems in
the sector.
Provisional figures show that more than 98 percent of those participating in the ballots voted in favour of the
settlements at Auckland, Waikato, Massey, Victoria, Canterbury, Lincoln and Otago universities. The ratification will
see salary increases for academic staff of between 6.0 and 7.5 percent and for general staff of between 4.0 and 5.5
percent over the course of the year.
The spokesperson for the combined university unions, Helen Kelly, said that, while the salary increases varied among
universities and between academics and general staff, she believed that union members saw the settlements as a positive
step towards resolving salary problems. “Union members also know that the government money, which funded a major portion
of the increases, was a direct result of their campaigning over the past three years, and that this campaign would
continue”she said. “The vote indicated an overwhelming mandate for the national approach to bargaining and our priority
now is to enter the second stage of the tripartite process.”
Ms Kelly said she expected that tripartite process would provide an opportunity to engage with the Government on the new
funding model for and governance of tertiary education as well as salaries and associated issues around national
collective bargaining.
ENDS