Pay settlement at Victoria University

Pay settlement at Victoria University

General (non-academic) staff at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) today voted to accept a new pay offer from the University. Acceptance of the offer, which was for a 3 percent salary increase from 1 May 2004, brings to an end a six week dispute which saw VUW general staff take strike action and threaten a University-wide shut-down during the first week of second semester enrolments.

General staff have been claiming a 4 percent pay rise, in line with their academic colleagues.

Association of University Staff (AUS) general staff spokesperson, Tony Quinn, said that the improvements in salary offer came as a direct result of industrial action. "The strike on Monday 31 May resulted in the employer's offer being increased from 2.2 percent to 2.5 percent, and the threat of a "first-week shutdown" raised that offer further to the current 3 percent."

"While union members remain unhappy about the disparity with their academic colleagues, they are delighted with their success in improving the offer," said Mr Quinn. "Union participation is at an all-time high, and staff have the confidence that if need be they can repeat an effective industrial action campaign in the future if salary claims are not addressed in a satisfactory manner."