Uni. staff fight non-union agreement

Date: 09 May 2000

Workers at Western Australia's Murdoch University will officially launch a "VOTE NO" campaign over management attempts to implement a non-union agreement.

The lunch-time launch on May 10 will coincide with the unveiling of a 'Murdoch Staff Morale Graveyard" on campus.

Last Thursday, May 4, a meeting of 300 General Staff at Murdoch University passed a motion of no-confidence in the Vice Chancellor, Steven Schwartz and the unprincipled actions taken in proposing the non-negotiable, non-union agreement.

The meeting also endorsed a 'VOTE NO" campaign for the ballot.

Community and Public Sector Union Assistant Secretary Toni Walkington said Murdoch University has become the first Western Australian University to attempt to strike a non-union agreement with its General Staff.

"For 18 months Murdoch University management has refused to enter into genuinely consultative discussions with General Staff over a new enterprise agreement," Ms Walkington said. "Clearly there has been a deliberate strategy of prolonging negotiations for as long as possible to deny workers advances in pay and conditions and to effectively 'starve' them on to individual work contracts.

"Ultimately the non-union agreement is designed to erode jobs, conditions and services to both students and the wider University community."

Ms Walkington said employees should not be made the scapegoats for management's failure as a negotiator, nor should they be punished for refusing to succumb to the Federal Government's ideologically-driven agenda.

The launch will be held in conjunction with the Community and Public Sector Union, Miscellaneous Workers Union, Academic Staff Association and Student Guild.

For further information

Contact:	cpsu/csa
Union:	Western Australian Unions
Email:	mw@cpsucsa.asn.au
WWW:	www.cpsucsa.asn.au

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