Unitec students fear failure due to lecturer strikes
Unitec students could fail their courses as a result of persistent striking from Unitec staff.
Unitec members of the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) have been striking intermittently since September 16, hitting
students in the crucial exam preparation period.
Student President of USU Students’ Association Greg Powell said the USU Students’ Association at Unitec has fielded many
complaints from affected students who “fear their lecturers’ actions will compromise their study and the results of
their courses.”
The TEU has rejected the recent employers’ offer of a two percent salary increase with no back-dating and an 18 month
term from the date of signing. Employers also want discretionary leave to be at their discretion rather than the
employees’ as it is for other staff on individual contracts. The employers also want to increase teaching days by ten
percent.
The discretionary leave for Unitec’s union members is currently over-and-above what is offered to staff on individual
contracts. Under the current agreement the union members potentially get four more weeks of holiday leave totalling
potentially nine weeks of annual leave plus two weeks of professional development leave.
Mr Powell said “striking and withdrawing education from students, particularly during the exam preparation period, is
incredibly serious – causing a great deal of stress on students, and to use it to ask for more holidays than the rest of
the staff at Unitec seems opportunistic.”
Union members have had the chance to strike during the recent mid-semester break to target management in a way which
would not have had a direct affect on students.
Striking or picketing faculty academic committees, academic board, council meetings, and strategic working parties and
striking their own research projects could have been more effective, Mr Powell said.
Today is the second full day of striking and Mr Powell said he is “disgusted that students are being used as the meat in
the sandwich.
“In September they even picketed our graduation ceremony which sought to ruin a very important day for students and
their families.
“The Students’ Association has tried to get the issues resolved with minimal effect on students. We have contacted the
TEU numerous times to request meetings so that we can inform our students and the TEU have refused to meet with us.”
Mr Powell acknowledged that the salary increase is minimal and said that the Students’ Association had some sympathy for
this. However, he believed this could have been dealt with a lot better causing less disruption to students and focusing
the stress and frustration on the employer instead.
“The Tertiary Education Union’s decision not to communicate with us shows a lack of good faith, particularly when other
actions that would not affect students do not appear to have been considered.”
It is not known how long the industrial action will continue for.
ENDS