Academic staff reject 3% offer from employer

7 December 2005

“Open Polytechnic academic staff reject 3% offer from employer”

The Open Polytechnic and ASTE (Association of Staff in Tertiary Education) parties met yesterday to progress the talks to renew a collective employment agreement.

The Open Polytechnic have increased their offer to academic staff from 2% to 3% in spite of $14million of reserves/investments and recording $4million surpluses in the last two years. Compared to CPI at 3.4%, ASTE members are furious.

ASTE members today rejected the employer’s offer and withdrew their labour effective from lunchtime. They intend remaining on strike all day Thursday.

Phil Dodds, Central Region Field Officer for the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education said that “Members are astonished that their employer effectively says (TOPNZ) members only deserve a 5% increase on salaries (over three years) whilst their local colleagues have achieved an 11.25% increase over a four year period,”

ENDS

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