Open Polytechnic moves 0.5%: still doesn’t impress

“Open Polytechnic moves by 0.5% but still doesn’t impress union members”

Since their first one of 1.5%, The Open Polytechnic have increased their offer to Academic staff to 2% and indicate a preparedness to meet again in six months to review that position - in spite of $14million of reserves/investments and $4million surpluses in the last two years.

Academic staff members who belong to the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education (ASTE) this morning overwhelmingly confirmed their earlier vote in favour of supporting their bargaining team with ongoing industrial action.

The form of that action is most likely to be in the nature of lightning strikes, called at a moments notice, to coincide with other scheduled activities that are occurring around the institution.

The institution was among the top seven performers in the Polytechnic sector returning a surplus of 5.6% in 2004.

Phil Dodds, Central Region Field Officer for the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education said that “Members continue to be dismayed at the pay offer and at what members perceive to be a delaying tactic to get back to the bargaining table. Our members want to resolve this as early as possible especially given that staff accepted a ‘bonus’ type payment in 2004.”

Other Polytechnics continue to offer considerably more than this employer despite less healthy financial positions.

ENDS

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