Got this email
"Dear students,
As you probably know, members of the NTEU and CPSU plan to take industrial action this Thursday, 7 March. Contrary to what you may have heard, though, most University staff are not members of these striking unions so University business will continue as usual and many classes will go ahead as scheduled.
The University has asked any staff who are intending to strike to let students know prior to the day if they will not be teaching on Thursday.
A further email will be sent to you tomorrow detailing practical arrangements for the day, but I thought it would be useful to give you some background regarding this action.
The NTEU has proposed the University should sign an agreement which, among other things, would provide a 7 percent per annum pay increase to staff. We believe that staff deserve a pay increase, but we simply can’t afford that much. Government funding of higher education is not going to increase, and so our only options would be to increase revenue by enrolling many more students, or to reduce costs radically. Both options would harm the quality of your education.
The NTEU also want us to fund the salary increase by stopping investment in buildings and technology infrastructure. This is only a short-term solution, and would in the long run be disastrous. Many of our buildings require major upgrading and repairs; staff and students are housed in facilities not fit for purpose; and, in some faculties, continuing external accreditation is conditional on improving our infrastructure. Without better facilities our reputation will be damaged and your degree would be devalued.
Conditions for staff at the University of Sydney are in fact very good. Few workers outside the university sector are entitled to 50 days’ sick leave each year, or receive 17 percent superannuation. And salary, leave and working conditions at this University are already equal to or better than those in the rest of the Group of Eight universities.
I hope that you bring the same rigour to thinking about these issues as you do to your academic work.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Spence"
That takes off one 8am lecture. Hoping for other lectures to be cancelled as well.
