The possibility of disruption in New Zealand universities / from professors' strike to the suspension of grades

New Zealand's higher education staff, if they go on strike, may take measures including refusing to announce student grades and halting new enrollments.

Ambassador Arjan: If New Zealand's higher education workers go on strike, they may take actions such as refusing to announce students' grades and stopping new registrations.

These employees include professors, lecturers, educational coaches and librarians. The Higher Education Union of New Zealand has announced that salary increases offered to university staff are far below the country's 4.1% inflation rate. Earlier, it was reported that the union demanded a 6% salary increase for its members in 6 universities, although this figure was not mentioned in the official statement announcing the strike vote.

Job security is also one of the main axes of the protests. According to the union, about half of the staff in the higher education sector do not have a permanent contract. The union has not yet announced a specific date for the strike, but possible actions could include half-day or one-day strikes, withholding student grades and halting new enrollments. Be sure to read: France's protests reached Europe / Students came to the streets, student protests after a disturbing incident / What happened at Hamadan University?

The staff of 6 universities of Otago, Canterbury, Victoria, Wellington, Massey, Waikato and Auckland are participating in this action. Staff from several technical and vocational training institutions, including the New Zealand Institute of Technology and Skills and Otago and South Polytechnics, have also joined the movement.

The protest of academics was formed in a situation where the public sector of New Zealand is also facing cost reductions and job cuts. About 10,000 government employees staged a half-day strike on September 9, protesting the National Party-led government's policies on wages and employment. According to the published report, about 8,700 jobs in ministries and government offices are to be eliminated; A figure equivalent to 14% of the main workforce of the public sector.

These changes occur in the continuation of financial pressures on universities. In recent years, New Zealand universities have faced budget cuts and job cuts. In 2023, hundreds more jobs will be eliminated in the higher education sector; including 229 jobs at Victoria University of Wellington, more than 200 jobs at Otago University and 170 jobs at Auckland University of Technology. Te Pūkenga National Institute of Vocational and Technical Education also announced the elimination of 400 jobs.

The Higher Education Union wants a comprehensive and long-term plan to invest in the sector and says New Zealand is below the average for similar countries in spending on higher education.

However, the performance of the union in the past negotiations has also been criticized. Critics say previous wage deals have failed to compensate for the decline in workers' purchasing power. Now, the strike vote puts new pressure on universities and vocational institutions to make decisions about wages, job security and the future of higher education funding.