Four Universities To Strike On Thursday

4,000 Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union members across four universities will strike for four hours on Thursday.

TEU members at Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa | Massey University, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | The University of Canterbury and Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki | Lincoln University will take action in response to inadequate pay offers and employer refusals to ensure all staff are paid above the Living Wage.

Te Pou Ahurei Takirua – Ahumahi | Assistant National Secretary – Industrial, Daniel Benson-Guiu, says the strikes should come as no surprise to employers. “Pay growth in the universities has been much slower than the rest of the Aotearoa workforce, at a time when inflation has been at 30-year highs. Our members will not take that lying down. They fought two years ago when 7,000 of our members took action, they are fighting now and they will keep fighting until they get the recognition they are owed.”

Te Awatea Ward, TEU Branch President at Massey University, says she is striking because “we don’t feel heard by our employer. They aren’t prioritising us – their staff. We want a pay offer that reflects our importance and the role we play in delivering education. Without us there is no university.”

Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University and Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka | The University of Otago are not striking at this time due to ongoing negotiations with university management.

Te Wānanga Aronui O Tamaki Makau Rau | Auckland University of Technology members are not negotiating this year, while Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato | The University of Waikato is beginning a fresh set of negotiations following the conclusion of their recent pay campaign.

Strike rallies will be held at the following locations and times on Thursday:

Auckland: 2pm-3:30pm at the General Library, Alfred Street.

Massey: From 12:30pm at Concourse, Manawatū Campus; Main Entrance, The Pyramid (between Blocks 4 and 5A), Wellington Campus; and the Atrium Entrance, Albany Campus.

Canterbury: From 1pm outside the Central Library, Puaka James Hight Building.

Lincoln: From 1pm at the University Library, Ivey Hall.

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