University staff strike but classes go ahead

Auckland University says about 90 per cent of its classes went ahead as normal yesterday, despite an unprecedented national strike by university staff.

Students spoken to by the Herald also reported that many classes seemed unaffected by the strike, which involved up to 7000 staff nationwide

Auckland law student Lasith Weeraratne, 20, had one class affected but said both his earlier lectures were near full.

"Flyers put around yesterday said strikes would be affecting lectures, but in reality heaps of them aren't cancelled."

Auckland engineering student Ken Bong, 19, said that classes were still "quite" full.

"The lecturers told us they'll teach us less, but they'll examine us on less, so we're happy."

However, Auckland student Hannah Lyttelton, 20, was frustrated that the Government was not doing more to resolve the situation.

"We [students] came through school with the teachers striking for NCEA, it seems like a constant stream of protesting.

"I think education needs to be sorted out."

Auckland's vice-chancellor, Professor Stuart McCutcheon, said about 10 per cent of the 800 classes across four campuses yesterday were affected.

"I think the scale of the impact reflects the fact that we have already increased wages and salaries by 4.5 per cent to all staff.

"We are taking positive steps to try to resolve funding issues in the interests of staff and the university sector as a whole."

But Association of University Staff (AUS) general secretary Helen Kelly said: "If salaries stay the way they are, then by next year our members will be earning the same as kindergarten teachers.

"By next year a kindergarten or secondary teacher with low-level management responsibility will be earning $66,000 and a lecturer at the top of the scale with seven years' experience will be earning $64,000."

AUS members said they did not want to disrupt students but did want them to understand why they were striking.

They want a national settlement to cover staff at all universities. They are seeking a 30 per cent pay rise over three years for academic staff, increases the association says are necessary to compete internationally and domestically for staff.

AUS national president Professor Nigel Haworth spoke at the Auckland strike yesterday. He said it had an "unprecedented level of support" among university staff. "We are feeling very positive here in Auckland and across the country."

Staff went on strike at Auckland, Waikato, Massey, Victoria, Canterbury and Lincoln universities. Otago University suspended industrial action after a stopwork meeting yesterday.

Otago union members agreed to endorse a proposal to "park" Otago on the basis of an offer from vice-chancellor Professor David Skegg.

He agreed that if there was a national agreement, under certain conditions, the university would go into it and offered a 5 per cent pay rise as an interim settlement.

At Auckland University, up to 500 staff protested at 36 picket sites and carried a mock coffin signifying the death of tertiary education.

Waikato University said many students turned up to class yesterday but said it was too early to tell how many students had been affected. Union members said 300 staff had picketed the university.

A University of Canterbury spokesperson said up to 1000 union members had been expected to strike and "there would have been lectures cancelled".

Around 450 union members marched at Massey University in Palmerston North.

AUS Victoria University had at least 150 members through the picket lines and said "there was a notable lack of students".

Lincoln University was not available for comment.

What's next?

* The Association of University Staff will launch four one-hour lightning strikes next week. The strikes will be unannounced.

* Another nationwide strike is planned for Thursday, August 4.