The Fair Work Commission has halted immediate planned industrial action by the National Tertiary Education Union Tasmania at the University of Tasmania over staff enterprise agreements.
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UTAS lodged an application with the workplace tribunal to stop the union’s planned action this week, which involved cancelling classes or not communicating student results for processing.
The NTEU is frustrated that negotiations for an updated staff enterprise agreement are ongoing after 14 months.
The university’s application was upheld in court in Hobart on Friday, requiring the NTEU to inform members not to start industrial action.
The university was contacted for comment.
A spokesperson earlier said negotiations were “continuing in good faith” and included a pay rise to all staff earlier this year.
NTEU Tasmania division secretary Kelvin Michael described the decision as “disappointing” for its members, some of whom gave evidence at the hearing.
“We’ve advised our members accordingly, but we have other actions that are already available to our members and we’ve since … notified the university of other actions that will be able to take place in the latter half of next week,” he said.
Mr Michael said further action such as not transmitting exam results to the University would be likely toward the end of November.
The student union, the Tasmania University Union, launched a petition this week to stop the NTEU from commencing their planned action after students received a letter from the NTEU warning of impending industrial action.
TUU president Clark Cooley said the union was concerned about the effects of the NTEU’s actions on student wellbeing and health, and wanted to see staff and the university resolve their dispute without involving students.
However Mr Michael said it had been “heartening” to see support for the union’s campaign on social media from students and the community.
