More than 150 staff and students at the University of Melbourne (UoM) supported a 24-hour strike on June 21 over a management plan聽to fund a staff pay rise using their superannuation.
Organised by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), the action took place just hours after the University Council proposed that permanent and fixed term staff would be able to divert 6% of their existing 17% super payments to their base pay instead.
The minimum government superannuation contribution is only 10.5%, rising to 11% on July 1.
The NTEU has been pushing for a new enterprise agreement since the last one expired 10 months ago.
One speaker declared that the 鈥淯niversity of Melbourne 鈥 [are] raiding our super for a pay rise to compensate for a cost-of-living crisis 鈥 We are not demanding $1.5 million pay rises鈥, a reference to many Victorian chancellors taking more than $1 million last year,聽and three receiving pay rises greater than $100,000.
Even the 聽seemed alarmed, reporting聽on an email sent by deputy vice chancellor Pip Nicholson to an affected staff member arguing the offer reflected 鈥渢he current economic climate鈥 and higher costs of living.
The protesters marched from UoM campus, across Swanston Street, to a UoM Council meeting where they continued the protest, speaking about casualisation, job insecurity and growing workloads.
鈥淥ur workload is unsustainable,鈥 one person said. 鈥淲e won鈥檛 let [UoM] function while those that make the decisions continue to ignore us 鈥 that鈥檚 why I鈥檒l go on strike again and again and again.鈥
In response to management鈥檚 divide and rule tactics, calls for solidarity between students and the staff were made. 鈥淪upport the staff when they take action by any means necessary,鈥 one speaker said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to let the university say [the strike action] harms students 鈥 students benefit from it. We have a united interest in fighting for a better university.鈥