Auckland University salary offer
Re: Auckland University salary offer
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Dear TEU member,
On the 12th of March, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Auckland wrote to all university employees on individual employment agreements offering them a salary increase of 2.6% effective the 1st of May 2009. At the same time he wrote to the TEU stating that he would extend the same salary offer ‘without prejudice’ to union members covered by collective bargaining.
The VC has taken it upon himself to proceed in this manner for the last 4 years now. We believe this practice is an ongoing attempt to undermine our ability to bargain during negotiations of our collective agreement. While technically the ‘without prejudice’ offer means that the union is still free to put forward other claims, such as a further salary increase, a different pay structure, additional annual leave, or other terms and conditions, in practice accepting the offer means that the money is already committed in a manner determined solely by the VC and not through any negotiation process. As an example, you may recall that last year members supported a national salary claim of a flat dollar increase for all staff in order to support the lowest paid staff at the university and to help reduce the pay gap between staff at different levels, a gap that has been widening over recent years. Our employer refused this claim on the basis that it would be too administratively complex to implement.
At a local level we claimed changes to the University of Auckland pay structure for general staff which would see the reintroduction of annual increments in pay structures, in an attempt to bring our university more in line with the practice at other universities. Our employer refused this claim as well, pointing to the ‘already generous pay offer’ made to general staff last year. At the same time, senior management made recommendations on general staff salaries to the VC including one that all future salary increases be restricted to CPI, across the board.
Members have indicated to us that they wish to again pursue claims for a flat-dollar increase and a new pay structure for general staff. If we accept a 2.6% across-the-board offer now, it will mean the employer has fewer resources available with which to finance those claims.
At the same time, refusing the offer now might prompt some members to leave the union in order to gain the pay increase, which would also weaken our ability to bargain on other conditions in the future. Ultimately this will hurt all staff at this university; without a strong union to act as a much needed watch-dog on conditions, such conditions will invariably be eroded.
The VC is now awaiting a response to his offer. Before we can proceed, we need to hear your views on how you would like us to respond to the offer. In recent meetings, members have suggested two possible responses.
- The first is to accept the offer of 2.6 percent across the board from 1 May 2009.
- The second is to acknowledge the offer of the sum equivalent to a minimum of a 2.6 percent increase across the board but negotiate how the money will be spent once national bargaining has begun. Note that if we do manage to successfully negotiate a flat-dollar increase, this will mean that for lower paid staff, union members will be paid more than their non-union colleagues while at the higher end, union members will be paid less than their non-union colleagues.
In order to ensure that we proceed according to the wish of members, we need to know what you would like us to do.
In order to facilitate this, we have arranged an on-line ballot so you can vote for the option you prefer. Please DO vote to ensure that we are able to act according to the wishes of members.
