UNE Publicity Office

UNE EB team moves to protect students from industrial action

The University of New England Enterprise Bargaining Management Team did not walk out on the recent three day EB meeting as claimed by Academics Union (NTEU) representatives, Professor Alan Cumming said today.

Refuting the allegations as "completely false", Professor Cumming, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and head of the UNE EB Management team, explained his team had asked for an adjournment following a flat refusal of the UniversityÕs final salary offer.

"We required an adjournment to confer with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ingrid Moses to make her aware of the NTEU position," he said. "Our team had no idea that the salary offer would be rejected until we went to the meeting."

He rejected claims from the NTEU local branch that Ôhysterical emails to staffÕ had been sent from the Vice-ChancellorÕs unit or that there had been some collusion with the University of Western Sydney over enterprise bargaining.

"There has been no contact between UNE and the University of Western Sydney on this matter at any time," he said.

In a message to the academic staff on Friday Professor Cumming said the University had at all times attempted to resolve all matters in dispute with the union through negotiation.

However, it regarded the withholding of University examination results as having the potential to seriously jeopardise the ability of many students to gain employment in the New Year.

He told staff that the University had commenced, on Friday, an application in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) to formally suspend or terminate the bargaining period between the University and the union.

If the bargaining period is terminated by the AIRC the University will expect the NTEU and its members to abide by their previous undertaking not to engage in unprotected industrial action, he pointed out.

"Suspension or termination of a bargaining period does not mean that negotiations to finalise an enterprise agreement cannot continue at the University," he said. "This action has been taken as a last resort and it is hoped that the NTEU will cease the industrial action forthwith and give an undertaking to resolve all differences in accordance with the negotiations to date."

Media contact: Professor Alan Cumming (02) 6773 3896