October Strike Update #5
Day #5 Wrap up
Congratulations to every staff member who participated in our historic strike action!
Whether it was a conversation you had with a colleague, a poster or flag you stuck up at your desk or on your door, whether you attended a union meeting, got along to a poster-run, morning leafleting, conversation training or a phone-bank, every bit of organising and building was crucial to the success of the week.
Our last day on strike was fuelled by a wonderful delivery of baked goods from local cafes, organised by a student solidarity activist. As we enjoyed our gourmet breakfast, picket captains Thomas and Alana kept us going with picket-line trivia.
We then made our way to the MGSE for another visit to Duncan Maskell’s ‘Roadshow’. He was again made keenly aware of our presence as our chants and union songs reverberated in the building.
Ben Gook, Health and Safety Representative from the Faculty of Arts was invited to speak on the workload crisis. He and branch president Chloe Mackenzie have recently conducted a staff survey into the psycho-social health issues linked with our working conditions. He spoke to the responses,
"I love my job, but the workload is KILLING me. I can't do my job in five long (9 or 10-hour) days, so I work most weekends … but I still feel behind ALL the time. I am exhausted. I am letting people down. My family is resentful. It is not sustainable. Please help."
In solidarity with this staff member and all those who have shared their experience of isolation and abandonment, we call on Duncan Maskell and the negotiators to take action. Our workloads are in crisis, our bodies are giving out, and our burnout is real. Please help. Do something, or we’ll be out here again, supporting one another.
Following the rally, we gathered for a Strike Committee meeting to receive a bargaining update and discuss the future of campaign, before our Futsal Competition and finally making our way to the pub for one last rendition of ‘Solidarity Forever’ and a well-deserved drink.
The impact of the strike itself was certainly felt across the university.
In the month before the strike, 137 new staff joined the NTEU! This growth of membership is vindication of our industrial strategy - strikes clearly help build the union! We welcome these new comrades who bring our total membership to over 2,600, making us the largest branch in the country!
The strike itself cancelled over 500 classes across all faculties.
Scholarly Services staff managed to force libraries across the university into reduced opening hours, and even shut them down over the weekend.
In Stop 1, wait times in the Contact Centre blew out to 1 hour for students on hold, and up to 6 hours for those who opted for a call back on some days. The email enquiry queue is hundreds long. Student Services workshops were cancelled. The Stop 1 Course Planning team’s available appointments were cut - they couldn’t meet the minimum usually offered, plus their drop-in service was cancelled for the week due to lack of staff. All of Stop 1 services were shut at the Southbank campus for the entire week.
Our strike also made the headlines!
The ABC interviewed acting branch president Chloe Mackenzie on Wednesday morning about the reasons for and impact of the strike.
The ABC reported ‘Lecturer says University of Melbourne is 'broken'’ after speaking to union member Jeff Sparrow live from the picket lines.
The Saturday Paper discusses our current campaign in the context of the neoliberalisation of higher education, and the potential for our strikes to set a benchmark for the sector.
The Age also published a report on our strike, noting the wide-ranging impact across the campus.
Farrago published a piece written by union members in Student Services, an interview with academic staff, and an interview with library staff about the reasons these areas were taking action.
PhD candidate Tim Delayney spoke to us at the MGSE on Friday about the vision of higher education we are fighting for. His words are worth remembering as we return to work today and consider our next steps,
“Higher education that is respectful of Indigenous sovereignty and knowledges and welcoming and safe for students with diverse backgrounds, identities and abilities
Research that is collaborative, critical and connected to community. And appropriately resourced!
Graduates who have learned their craft from experts and can engage in a wide range of technical, social and democratic activities
Academics who are paid appropriately, can work collaboratively and safely and are respected by their institutions and the community
In this campaign and in the months and years ahead I look forward to campaigning collectively to rebuild higher education. One eba at a time. We owe this to our future comrades. Congratulations to all of you for stepping up this week. For the respect that you show for yourselves. And for the care that you have shown to each other.”
