Vic uni staff may boycott graduation
Tertiary Education Union (TEU) members at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington may boycott next month’s graduation ceremonies following failed negotiations for better pay.
In October, thousands of university staff took part in strike action nationwide in support of demands for an 8% pay rise.
Victoria University tutor and PhD student Sam Bigwood said tutors were ‘‘absolutely essential’’ and provided key learning opportunities for undergraduate students, yet many felt disrespected and were struggling to cope with the rising cost of living.
‘‘Tutors are increasingly having to do more and more work to be able to afford to live in the area.’’
Bigwood said tutors helped ‘‘carry the student experience’’ and bridge the gap for students adjusting from high school classes of 30 to university lectures of between 300 and 500 people.
The three weekly tutorials most tutors were recommended to take enabled students to discuss subjects in more detail and work collaboratively.
It was also a way for the tutors to ‘‘give back’’ to the university.
However, increased living expenses meant tutors were having to take on more and more work, with some now taking five to six or even eight tutorials a week, totalling more than 50-plus working hours in addition to their own studies. That meant some could be marking more than 100 papers of about 2000 words, he said.
Others were also picking up extra jobs outside the university.
Bigwood, who is now in his third year as a political science PhD student, said it was especially important for doctoral students to be able to balance study and work.
‘‘People are having to meet that extra cost by working more hours or taking breaks from study,’’ he said.
The additional workload or breaks could prolong the doctoral process or potentially impact the quality of the research.
He said none of them wanted to take such action but would withdraw it only if a reasonable offer was made. The boycott meant
there would be fewer volunteers helping with the December graduation and some students’ favourite lecturers might not be on stage. Additional measures could include a picket line, though members would not be disruptive.
The university’s director of people and capability, Mark Daldorf, said they were aware of a potential staff boycott but had not been formally notified.
Graduation was a ‘‘special time’’ for students, their whānau, families, and friends, he said, adding it would be ‘‘a shame for our staff to miss out on that celebration’’.
Senior leaders at the university continued to negotiate in good
faith with TEU and a number of bargaining meetings had been held in the past couple of weeks, Daldorf said.
The TEU’s Victoria University branch president, Dougal McNeill, said the graduation boycott was not proposed lightly as it was the ‘‘highlight of the academic year’’.
‘‘But it is a ceremony about respect and community, and that is what has been lacking at Victoria right now,’’ he said.
‘‘Tutors, the lowest paid teaching staff at our university, are still being offered insufficient recognition of their work for this year.’’
The proposal comes as a delegation of about 60 TEU members
presented a petition about to Labour MP Deborah Russell and Green MP Chloe Swarbrick at Parliament on Tuesday.
It called on the Government to intervene in the current university pay dispute, asking the ministers of finance and education to boost vocational education funding in order to avoid course cuts.
National secretary Sandra Grey said its university members voted overwhelmingly for strike action which included stoppages and not entering grades. ‘‘If the Government won’t step in, then strike action which has been going on for a month is likely to continue into election year.’’