ANU Staff Unite in Historic Strike, Advocate for Improved Working Conditions and Fairness

By Ryan Bourke and Hannah Farrow

On Thursday, 27 July at 12:00pm, NTEU Staff members went on strike to demand higher wages, less casualisation, and more flexibility. Union members began their rally at 12:30pm, before commencing a march on the chancellery building.

Above: Staff and students begin strike at 12:30pm.

As previously reported by Observer, The NTEU voted to strike in response to the ANU’s failure to make several key concessions relating to wage rises. The strike comes amidst the union’s demands for more flexibility, less casualisation, and healthier workloads for staff. The Union told Observer that it was demanding either a 15% pay rise over the next three years or, if greater, an agreement in which wages rise in line with the CPI plus 1.5%.

NTEU ANU division secretary Lachlan Clohesy told the crowd that the university “spent 17 million dollars on a car park” despite telling the union that “there would have to be redundancies” if they were offered any more money during bargaining. ANUSA President Ben Yates also spoke at the rally about why it was important for students to support their teachers. 

Many students joined the rally with signs, chants and megaphones to display their support for staff. 

In addition to the rally and associated march, students also showed solidarity by conducting a “roaming picket” in which a group of students disrupted various classes yesterday afternoon. According to a statement made by the ANUSA Education Officer Beatrice Tucker, “from 10am-12pm students flyered and made announcements throughout Marie Reay, from 12pm-5pm, students began the roaming pickets. Multiple classes were won over and left.”   

Above: Students conduct a ‘roaming picket’.

As the crowd marched on to ANU Vice-Chancellor Brian Schmidt’s office, Observer spoke to several staff members about why they joined the strike.

Stephen Mottlee works at ANU’s college of Asia and the Pacific. He told Observer that he is marching to create a better standard of education for “the students of tomorrow.”

“It’s very good that the staff are uniting to improve the standards of teaching through better class sizes, appropriate pay for staff, [and] more security for casuals. The strike today supports the students, and supports the staff. We want a better university for everyone.”

When asked why students should support the strikes, Mottlee said that, “It supports their own careers, their standard of living as researchers, to create a better university for the students of tomorrow, and to maintain the high standards of learning that our researchers have created over the last few decades.”  

A Menzies Library staffer, Bee Shumway, stated “it’s a shock and a shame that ANU is behind the curve in staff pay, learning and education, fair pay, teaching outcomes…we’re far behind on student and staff satisfaction”. 

ANU staff member Mathew* told Observer that he was marching in solidarity with casuals, who he says have been denied the security and guarantees they deserve.

“The Union agreed to forgo a pay rise due to the pandemic, they have now conceded a higher offer, but there is still a big issue in that we are seeing increased rates of casualisation at ANU. The casuals only get 10% super compared to the 17% for part time. We also don’t get the same guarantees for public holidays.”

When asked what changes he’d like to see, Mathew added, “We want those guarantees, and we want leave entitlements, but the number of casuals is rising. You have to fight for 10 years just to become qualified for these jobs and then when you get there they make you a casual and you have no rights. I think it just sucks.”

One library staff member, Clare, revealed they had been a casual worker for 20 years at ANU. They had worked at Hancock and stated how “staff conditions are directly influencing student conditions… it’s creating impermanent conditions.”

It is yet to be confirmed whether or not further strikes planned for the 7th or 8th of August will proceed. That will likely depend on whether or not the University agrees to the union’s demands on casualisation and flexibility. 

In a late development this afternoon, Vice Chancellor Brian Schmidt told students and staff via his blog that, “On Wednesday, I personally attended enterprise bargaining negotiations. It is very clear that all sides are committed to ANU being a great place to work…  from my perspective based on this week’s discussions, I am optimistic that we are close to an agreement.” The post also included a list of concessions made by ANU on Wednesday, which relate to “casual conditions and job security”.The list of concessions made by ANU on Wednesday can be found here. 

The full log of NTEU claims can be found here.

*Some name changed for anonymity

Graphics by Ryan Bourke

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