ASTE Members Strike at AUT

ASTE Members Strike at AUT

Irena Brorens, Assistant Secretary in Auckland for ASTE Te Hau Takitini o Aotearoa, said today that ASTE members at the Auckland University of Technology would be taking strike action tomorrow, Tuesday 30 August. She said “ the failure of the Vice Chancellor of the University to make any change to his salary offer has meant that strike action is inevitable. The current offer of 3.5% and 3.5% over two years is not acceptable”.

Union members are claiming 6.5% and 6.5% over a two-year period. Ms Brorens went on to say, “we cannot accept our members’ salary rates falling further and further behind the rest of the university sector, especially as we operate in an international market for academics”.

Union members on all AUT’s campuses have already been engaging in a campaign of withdrawal of goodwill. Ms Brorens said that while strike action affects students, members felt they had no option but to take the action given the Vice Chancellor’s current position. “The effect on students in the long term will be much greater if the salaries issue for academics is not addressed”, she said.

Members will be picketing on the Wellesley and Akoranga campuses morning and afternoon and there will be a strike meeting during the day to determine further action.

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