NorthTec tutors taking industrial action

More than 100 NorthTec tutors are taking action after rejecting the offer of an annual $1000 pay rise and a proposal for part-time work.

The Tertiary Education Union (TEU) and NorthTec have been negotiating collective agreements for 125 tutors since August last year, and last week teaching staff agreed to cease compiling attendance rosters and entering or helping with entering marks/grades into the system.

The action will continue until Friday, TEU advocate Jill Jones saying further action might be taken if the issues under negotiation remained unresolved.

“The strike action is to disrupt operation but not to impact on students’ learning,” she said.

“Tutors want their employer to show them respect, and put a decent pay offer on the table.”

The TEU was asking for a three per cent pay rise, but

NorthTec was offering $1000, and was asking the union to support a proposal for some fulltime tutors to work part-time.

“Obviously we can’t support that. In any case, $1000 is not adequate for some of the lowestpaid academic staff in the tertiary education sector, who’ve had years of very low pay rises,” Ms Jones said.

“This disruptive action can easily be avoided if the employer comes to the table with a pay offer that shows they value the hard work staff put in every day at NorthTec,” Jones said.

NorthTec chief executive Wayne Jackson said the polytechnic was disappointed by the action being taken, but had systems in place to ensure it would have minimal impact on students. The polytechnic remained open to engage with staff when industrial action ended, he added.