Volume 6, Number 3, July 2014
Branch President Jack Speaks‌ Various members have raised with us their perception of inconsistencies in the chosen cost cutting strategies adopted at the College, Department/School or other local levels. Some latitude has been given to decision makers at College and even lower administrative levels and this latitude will undeniably create inconsistencies in experience. Consistency, however, is not the priority; successful delivery of our primary mission is. During this long time of unprecedented financial stress, I favour this more flexible system. I prefer it to a system in which large-scale and seemingly arbitrary constraints are dictated from the Central Administration. We are a large institution and some central decision making is both appropriate and expected, especially where local decision making may undermine the effectiveness of cost savings made at a University level. However, a minimum of these kinds of decisions is desired. De-centralised decision making promotes more local control. The effect on individuals in a system where more financial decision making is delegated to smaller units is that they may be disadvantaged by some decisions taken in their unit but less so if they had happened to be in another unit that made different decisions. And sometimes some decisions made in our home units will benefit us more than another colleague. However, it is also very likely that we are more aware of when we feel disadvantaged by a decision than when someone else has been. The problem is not that different units may prioritise different things. Each of us may not be equally unhappy with every cost cutting activity that makes our jobs more difficult, but different approaches in different units is an acceptable outcome. Nevertheless, decision makers will likely come to better decisions and benefit from far more cooperation when they meet, and are perceived to have met, their obligations to engage staff as much as is reasonable and possible, and commensurate with the significance of the decision. The ripples of inequity that will arise from any decision may be hard to trace, but they are easier to predict. We encourage decision makers to seek out those most likely to be effected in advance of making a decision in an effort to achieve consensus, and at least understanding. Affected staff may easily miss the importance of issues raised briefly in meetings or buried in a stream of emails. It is valuable to reflect on whether the standard of engagement also needs to be raised. Impersonal invitations to feedback are often ineffective. The issues to be consulted on are also prone to being less well understood by the reader than by the writer. If post hoc resistance and grumpiness are becoming the normal response to decisions, then perhaps the messengers are contributing to the problem. I see value in the downward delegation of decision making. Granted, such a system has risk as well. However, provided that local financial decision making is not used as a tool to discriminate or punish individuals, then the more severe costs of every decision will randomly be borne by different people each time. The genuine ability of those likely to be impacted to meaningfully influence decision making and options on a local level has immediate and longer-term morale benefits, while enhancing the chances of successful outcomes.
Dovedale Cleaners
Our Dovedale Campus cleaner members had an opportunity in March to meet directly with the TEU President and our two Organisers. Over a few savouries and cakes, an informal meeting allowed Gaby to give a brief update on what was happening round the University in other areas. It also provided an open forum for general discussion on issues of importance to our cleaners, the most unsettling one being the pressures created by non-replacement of departing cleaners. With a reasonably high staff turnover and demands created by increasing workloads it is clear that UofC expectations will exceed cleaners’ ability to deliver to the standard they try and achieve. Another discussion of direct interest was the Living Wage Campaign which brings together community, faith-based organisations and unions around a common goal of achieving a living wage as a necessary step in reducing inequality and poverty in our society. The sad truth is more and more New Zealanders don’t get paid enough to meet their needs, enjoy their lives and more fully participate in society. Low-paid UofC cleaners certainly fall into this bracket. The TEU and our members will need to try and reach some agreement with the University on how we meaningfully address this issue in the current cash-strapped, post-earthquake environment.
Parental Leave Payments to Increase in July 2014 Families with new born babies can expect an increase in parental leave payments from 1 July this year. The maximum amount of parental leave payment for eligible employees will increase from $488.17 to $504.10 a week. To work out if you're eligible for paid parental leave, and what payment you’ll receive, check out www.dol.govt.nz/paidparental. The maximum rate is reviewed every year to account for any increase in average weekly earnings. Under the Parental Leave Act 1987, parents eligible for the scheme are currently entitled to up to 14 weeks paid leave, extended to 16 weeks from 1 April 2015, and then to 18 weeks on 1 April 2016. The Parental Tax Credit will be increased from a maximum of $150 per week for eight weeks to a maximum of $220 per week for 10 weeks from 1 April 2015. The eligibility for paid parental leave will also be extended from 1 April 2016 to people in less-regular jobs and workers with more than one employer and to “Home for Life” caregivers and people with similar permanent care arrangements.
TEU Membership Draw
The Tertiary Education Union welcomed one of their newest Canterbury members, Jasmine Liew of the Pelser Research Group, with the grand prize – an Air New Zealand Mystery Weekend for two. Branch President Jack Heinemann was present at the selection of Jasmine’s name from the box and he says he nearly fainted when the National Vice President Sandra Grey read out Jasmine’s name. “I’m really pleased that our casual fixed-term staff are getting to know the Union. Jasmine’s luck will reinforce the message to our young scholars that academia doesn’t have to mean doing everything alone and it is never too early to join in the collective”, Jack said. Jasmine is from Malaysia and is a parttime ‘Demonstrator’ in the College of Science at the University of Canterbury. She is currently in the second year of completing her PhD degree. Her PhD is in plant systematics on a group of New Zealand and Australia endemic herbs. When she first heard that she had been drawn to win the trip as a new TEU member, she received the news from Branch President Jack Heinemann, for whom she was coincidentally demonstrating. Knowing Jack’s sense of humour she initially thought he was ‘winding her up.’ She was most pleasantly surprised to learn it was true and was given her travel voucher during the branch’s recent Annual General Meeting. She had decided to join TEU after hearing from Jack and being convinced of the benefits of belonging to a collective that looked after her and her colleagues’ interests. As Jasmine noted: “This is my first time joining a union and I am hoping to learn what the union does and what it can do with its collective voice.” She is looking forward as much to her weekend holiday as she is to reaping the even more tangible rewards of membership.
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National Merit Award for Tim O’Sullivan In May at a well-attended get-together at Elevates and in conjunction with Charlie Catt of CPIT, our UofC Secretary/Treasurer Tim O’Sullivan was presented with a national merit award for his tireless and stellar work for the Union by our National Secretary Sharn Riggs. It was delightful to have Tim’s wife Sol and their children present so that they could see the respect in which Tim is held. The family willingly sacrifices Tim’s time to the TEU and were equally deserving of the praise Sharn and President Jack Heinemann heaped on his contribution.
(l tor) Jack Heinemann, Tim O’Sullivan & Sharn Riggs
The justly proud O’Sullivan family (l to r) Jerome, Jose, Sol and Tim O’Sullivan.
A TEU View of the Budget The total appropriation for tertiary education of $3.036 billion (2014-15) is less than the 2013-14 budgeted appropriation of $3.039. Estimated appropriations for the next three budget years after this year all fall below $3 billion. When you account for inflation this is another bad budget for the tertiary sector overall, and is another divisive budget in creating some winners and many losers. Some universities will probably do comparatively well out of the budget, while polytechnics will continue to struggle. Student support continues to get tighter and harder to access. Meanwhile little side funds to support the minister’s pet projects continue to flourish. Increases to the tertiary education funding are primarily in these three areas:
Competitive funding for research: $53 million over four years to increase the number of Centres of Research Excellence (CoREs) to 10, including a CoRE that focuses on Māori research. The lobbying that TEU members supported over CoRE funding cuts to Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga may have played a role in this. In addition, there are ongoing increases to PBRF from the last budget (up $13 million this year from $269 million last year). Adjusting the subsidies for selected courses: There is $83.3 million over four years for lifting tuition subsidies in science provision (8.5 percent increase), agriculture (8.5 percent), and selected health sciences (pharmacy 16.4 percent and physiotherapy 12.4 percent). There are also additional engineering places ($19 million over 4 years) and medical places (10.5 million over 4 years). Institutions that have students in these courses will do better out of the budget, thus the positive response from Universities NZ. Overall SAC funding rises by less than inflation even though it is up $12 million from $2.051 billion to $2.063 billion – that regional polytechnics and their communities are again missing out on needed funding increases. There is $28 million for ICT initiatives – yet to be announced what they are though. The minister is obviously pretty excited about this, and thinks it will be big news. The government probably has a little bit tucked away in its campaign chest for later in the year. Education spending to support Canterbury after the earthquake starts to come to an end this year.
Helen Kelly Visit Helen Kelly, General Secretary of the NZ Council of Trade Unions (and past-National Secretary of TEU/AUS) will be speaking on campus. The TEU invites all members, colleagues and interested students to this address.
Monday 18 August, 12.15pm Undercroft, Central Library James Hight Building Helen has a record of standing up for those workers who are less well paid in New Zealand, defending NZ acting jobs from Warner Brothers and for promoting Health and Safety in the workplace. As General Secretary of the NZCTU representing over 300,000 NZ workers, she is well-placed to address issues of concern in the run up to the general election.
Mark your diaries now!
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Ministry report: National Government changes not working The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has released its report into the changes to the Holidays Act and the Employment Relations Act made in 2011. “This report clearly shows that … changes … to employment law are failing New Zealanders. They have failed to increase employment and failed to help disadvantaged workers.” CTU President Helen Kelly said.
General Staff BBQ TEU try to recognise and promote the value placed on our General Staff members all year round. Once a year we have a concentrated celebration of General Staff contribution and recognise their value to other staff and the wider University community.
“The infamous 90 day trial period is a flop. There is no evidence that 90 day trial periods have led to the creation of a single job. In fact it shows that tens of thousands of workers are being dismissed under 90 day trials each year. There’s not a shred of evidence that trial periods have created any additional employment – which was the primary justification the government provided for wanting to implement this law change. It is clear that employers like trial periods (one surveyed called it a safety blanket) but also that they are a cause of huge distress to workers who have been unfairly dismissed with no recourse to justice. “There is no evidence that it has helped disadvantaged workers find jobs. Instead they are more vulnerable to being laid off. This policy is a huge and ongoing cause of human misery with no real gains for the economy as a whole. It should be scrapped.”
The Vice Chancellor Rod Carr and the PVCs have once again expressed support not only for the merits behind General Staff Day but have also endorsed staff attending TEU activities on that day. We will be holding a BBQ at:
41 Creyke Road
Some of the crowd who attended the Unions Canterbury ceremony at the Workers Memorial Reserve behind the old railway station on the 28th of April 2014. To the left some may recognise UC TEU member, the bearded and hooded Paul Broady, a Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences. Port Hills Labour MP Ruth Dyson is recognisable under the umbrella in the right hand photograph.
Wednesday 2nd July
Honour the Dead, Fight for the Living
12.00 - 2.00pm
Workers Memorial Day in Canterbury was ‘blessed’ by pouring rain but a good attendance of workers and unions. Based on the principles of ‘Honour the Dead: Fight for the Living’ the commemoration is held nationwide each year. For a most pleasing change, this year there were no Christchurch workers killed on the job for us to directly commemorate. While there are some areas of improvement, the major industry culprits still stand out (forestry, construction, fishing…). While nothing on the scale of Pike River and its accompanying 29 worker death-toll has occurred since 2010, added together some industries are creating statistical nightmares on a par to Pike River. In the forestry industry, since 2008, 23 workers have died and almost 900 have been seriously injured. 1,000 out of 6,000 forestry workers are on ACC and 11 have died in the last year alone.
TEU House
Please encourage a colleague to come with you and meet other members in a relaxed and friendly environment. A cuppa tea and liquid refreshments will also be supplied.
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Want to attend the next University of Canterbury Branch Committee meeting? Any TEU members with an interest are extended an invitation and are genuinely most welcome to sit in. The meetings start at midday and a hot drink and biscuits are always available: Wednesday 9 July Thursday 24July Wednesday 13 August Thursday 28 August Wednesday 10 September Thursday 25 September All held at TEU House, 41 Creyke Road, plenty of parking also.
Rock Star Economy or Rock Bottom? Who benefits? “Will most people see money in their pockets as a result of the current high GDP growth rates?” asks Bill Rosenberg, CTU Economist. “Economic growth is forecast to peak this year, yet wage growth has been slow. There is a real question whether the current growth will come and go with few people seeing the benefit of it in their own standard of living.”
Bill was a Lecturer at the University of Canterbury and a past President of the TEU/AUS.
“Should wage and salary earners - by far the biggest group of earners in New Zealand - be the ‘ones that don’t enjoy the income growth that others do enjoy’ as Reserve Bank Governor Graeme Wheeler is quoted as telling Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Select Committee last week?” Wage and salary earners bring in over three quarters of the average income to households with at least one person aged 18-64. “There are many people trying to make ends meet after several years of stagnant incomes, out looking for jobs and only finding part-time ones with not enough hours to pay the bills. In addition to 154,000 unemployed in March there were 96,000 people wanting more hours, and another 100,000 classified as jobless. The number of young people not in education, training or employment rose in the March quarter after taking account of seasonal effects. For many people the ‘growing economy’ is meaningless.” Rosenberg said... Or will the economic train go past with most people only able to stand on the platform watching it?
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TEU congratulates Dr Waikerepuru for Queen’s honour E kore e taea te aukati i a tātau. Longstanding TEU kaumātua Dr Huirangi Eruera Waikerepuru became a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit yesterday for his services to Māori. James Houkāmau, TEU’s Te Tumu Arataki (Māori vice-president), says the union is delighted at the recognition for one of its most prominent and active members. “In his own inimitable style, tōna māhaki, tōna hūmārie, ‘te ihu o te waka’, devoid of arrogance, he inspires, he encourages, he leads by example,” said James. “With leaders like our Koro Huirangi leading the way in the promotion of Te Reo Māori within TEU but also in every sphere of Aotearoa New Zealand society nothing can stop us in our bid to personify the underlying principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.” “E Koro e, te kai a te rangatira, he kōrero. Te tohu o te rangatira, he manaaki. Te mahi a te rangatira, he whakatira i te iwi. Ko koe rā e Koro e!”
Strengthening kotahitanga with CPIT Māori Academic rep Garrick Cooper and Māori General staff rep Liz Brown met with the Māori TEU representatives from CPIT and Lincoln University to see how we might collaborate more on take (issues) as well as developing opportunities to strengthen kotahitanga between our members. We are planning to hold a joint hui to identify take that we could then share with Hemi Houkāmau (TEU’s Te Tumu Arataki - Māori vice-president), when he is invited to Christchurch to meet with us all. We welcome Garrick to the Committee. He is based at Aotahi as a Lecturer and Te Reo Programme Coordinator. His whānau is from Tauranga Moana and Hauraki and he also has whakapapa links to Ngāti Apakura and Ngāti Manawa. In her second term on the branch we are pleased to still have the support and energy of Liz (of Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki) who works at UofC as Kaiārahi Māori.
Dr Huirangi Waikerepuru and Whaea Katerina Daniels
From the branch photo album: National Secretary Riggs visits Left: (l-r) Tim O’Sullivan (Secretary/Treasurer); Liz Brown (Maori General Staff); Grant Bush; Sharn Riggs (National Secretary); Sharon Goldstien (front); Jack Heinemann (President); Rob Stowell; Warwick Anderson. Below: Sharon Goldstien and Jack Heinemann
Contact your organisers University of Canterbury
CPIT and ITP Sector
Gabrielle Moore 021 190 2396 Extension 6485 gabrielle.moore@teu.ac.nz
Paul Corliss 021 859129 Extension 6288 paul.corliss@teu.ac.nz
Phil Dodds 027 44 99 422 Extension 6768 phil.dodds@teu.ac.nz
UC TEU Branch Officers President Secretary/Treasurer
Regional Administrator/Office
Jack Heinemann Biological Sciences Extension 6926
Madison Walker Extension 4150 Madison.walker@teu.ac.nz
Tim O’Sullivan Central Library Lending Services Extension 7962
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