Media Release
27 April 2009

Workload strike looms at Manukau Institute of Technology

Lecturing staff at Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) will be taking industrial action this week. An overwhelming majority of TEU members at MIT have voted in favour of action to address increasing workloads. They are also opposing proposals that could mean staff having to work more variable hours and at more unsociable times than they do currently.

TEU organiser, Chan Dixon says that lecturing staff at MIT have among the highest workloads in the polytechnic sector. A large round of redundancies among administrative staff in 2008, and burgeoning student numbers, are driving already high workloads to an unrealistic level.

“This is a serious situation that cannot be allowed to continue, which is why union members have taken the decision to take strike action”, said Ms Dixon. “They feel strongly that the students of South Auckland deserve the best quality education at MIT.

Ms Dixon went on to say that while students will be affected by this action they will be affected to a much greater extent in the future if the academic quality issues around workload aren’t addressed by the management of MIT.

“This situation is becoming harder and harder to sustain and the time has come to act”, Ms Dixon concluded.

ENDS

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