NTEU UC Bargaining Update
Today we're voting on taking the first steps towards industrial action
This is an important meeting for all union members at UC to attend
After giving the UC Bargaining Team plenty of opportunities to make significant progress towards a new Agreement, your NTEU UC Bargaining Team is now recommending a vote to authorise a Protected Action Ballot - the first step towards industrial action.
It's nearly 7 months since we submitted our bargaining claims to UC.
The UC Bargaining Team has refused to bring forward a salary offer, pointing to the Agenda.
However, both Academic and Professional Staff Workloads have already been on the Agenda, and the UC Bargaining Team has not produced a clause for either.
It's not good enough to hide behind the Agenda to avoid bringing forward a salary offer, while at the same time not abiding by the Agenda on important issues like workloads.
We've been very clear that UC has significant issues which need addressing, including salaries that are not keeping pace with the cost-of-living and workloads which are out of control.
In those 7 months, UC leadership has failed to bring any clauses to the bargaining table on either salaries or workloads. We don't believe that they understand the urgency of addressing these critical issues, and the lack of progress is not consistent with an approach which values, supports and respects UC staff.
As you can see in our updated Summary, we have reached agreement on only 24 of 68 clauses (35 per cent). We do not believe this represents significant progress.
Members getting active is leading to better results
We're starting to make progress on more issues, which we believe is due to the pressure we're applying to UC leadership.
Yesterday we agreed in principle on Flexible Working Arrangements, including working from home. This is a good win for members, particularly Professional Staff.
The University has also made a proposal for Reproductive Health Leave - a shift from their previous position. We'll consider it, but we're still very concerned about the requirement to exhaust almost all personal leave before being eligible. Nevertheless, at least we're now having this important discussion.
We're close to finalising the end of the Assistant Professor Scheme - something the NTEU has been advocating for many years. For many it has been a distressing experience, and its structure also contributed to UC's rationale for mass job cuts in 2024 and 2025. It has been a long time coming - the remaining hurdle is that existing Assistant Professors should have the opportunity to opt out without losing pay.
There are other clauses which, while not yet finalised, are closer than they were before yesterday's meeting.
While this represents progress and demonstrates that member pressure is starting to work, we still have significant and unresolved concerns on salaries, workloads and job security.
What is a Protected Action Ballot?
Under our industrial relations legislation, there are hoops to jump through before protected industrial action (such as work bans or strikes) become available to use.
The first step is a Protected Action Ballot.
This is not a vote to strike or take other action, but only to give NTEU the option to do so if necessary.
Does this mean we’re going on Strike?
At the moment, no [n.b.: after this update, members have voted to strike on 5 May 2026]. It is important to note that a Protected Action Ballot only makes available the option to take industrial action.
As a democratic union, we’ll be calling members meetings and taking our direction from members on any future industrial action.
In short – if we believe it is necessary to go on strike, we’ll ask members to vote on it first.
Who can go on Strike?
If NTEU proceeds with a strike, only NTEU members will be able to go on strike. That means that if a strike was called and any UC staff want to go on strike but they are not yet members, they need to join NTEU at www.nteu.au/join.
If it comes to that, we would also welcome the other union at the table - the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union - going through their own processes and joining us.
How does a ballot take place?
We need a majority of members to vote, and a majority of voters to vote 'Yes' to each type of industrial action proposed.
We’ll have more information on the process and timelines at our Member Meeting today.
We look forward to unpacking all of this and more at our Member Meeting today!
That meeting will be for NTEU members only, but any colleagues who are not yet members are welcome provided they join prior to the meeting at www.nteu.au/join.
In solidarity,
NTEU UC Bargaining Team
Lachlan, Craig, Bethany, Katie, Denise and Luke
Meeting 8: 25 March 2026
Authorised by Dr Lachlan Clohesy, ACT Division Secretary, National Tertiary Education Union