Union branches being 'deserted' in universities

Australian Higher Education Industrial Association

There are indications higher education staff are deserting their principal union.

The Australian Higher Education Industrial Association (AHEIA) said that the impact for higher education staff is that their inputs will be lost in matters of governance and workplace operations.

The peak university industrial relations body said that the latest changes in the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) following elections and notified to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) reveal that it has been unable to fill almost 25 per cent of more than 830 positions on offer.

“For example, at the Australian Catholic University branch and sub-branches there were 26 positions to be filled and 11 of those remained vacant, according to a report provided to the FWC this month,” the Executive Director of AHEIA, Craig Laughton, said.

“In some universities and associated organisations the situation is even more stark. Examples include:

- the ACT division where there were 12 vacancies and four or more than 30 per cent remained vacant when the NTEU had to report to the Fair Work commission in November this year;

- Australian Catholic University 26 vacancies with 11 remaining vacant;

- Australian National University 20 positions with 11, or more than 50 per cent remaining vacant;

- Deakin University with the figures 19 and nine;

- Swinburne University the figures are 21 and six; and

- the University of Canberra branch where the figures are 11 and eight.”

Mr Laughton said that the inability to fill positions came at a time when the NTEU was calling for more say in running universities.

“This begs the question, if the union can’t get enough of its own positions filled to run its own organisation’s branches, how can it expect to do even more. It’s a question of governance and resources.

“Are people eschewing these branch positions because they aren’t being listened to, they feel irrelevant, or what?”

Mr Laughton said he hoped this issue did not flow through to the next round of enterprise bargaining where it would be essential for the union to have a full complement of fully briefed and competent representatives.

Ends

20 November 2024

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