The Daily Advertiser were sent an email on ‘behalf of CSU staff’ arguing that they have received no pay rise for 2017 and an offer of only 1.6 per cent annually for the next four years. 

However CSU’s director workplace relations Mal Wilson, said this letter by CSU staff was a “little deceiving” as the enterprise agreement negotiations have almost concluded. 

“We’ve been negotiating with the three unions for about 16 months for a new enterprise agreement and we’ve had delays from the National Tertiary Education Union’s national office to endorse the local agreement,” he said. 

“This should reflect an agreed salary increase of nine per cent, which is an average of 1.9 per cent per annum and a salary uplift of $500 in the first and fourth year.

“A fixed salary uplift means it puts a higher percentage increase to our lower paid employees and the increase will be a $500 uplift and two per cent increase and in the second and third years it will be an increase of 1.8 per cent, and the final year will be a salary uplift of $500 and 2.1 per cent increase.” 

The staff were expecting an increase in December 2017 and therefore Mr Wilson said this increase will be backdated to January this year. 

Mr Wilson said along with the salary increase the staff receive other employment benefits including bringing forward the annual increase by three months to September and a 17 per cent superannuation contribution. 

“Other bonuses for our staff include an increased redeployment of 16 weeks, which the university will help find them another job before they are redundant,” he said. 

“We also have a domestic violence leave clause in our enterprise agreement and an enhanced parental leave.” 

Mr Wilson remained positive that the staff vote will be occurring over the next few weeks. 

According to CSU’s annual report, vice-chancellor Professor Andy Vann earned a base salary of $544,020 last year, along with a $81,883 bonus, a $13,679 motor vehicle allowance, $94,809 in superannuation and $23,400 for accommodation.

Professor Vann was the lowest paid in the state with a total remuneration of $757,000 – the third-lowest in the review and below the national average of $970,739.

The NTEU’s CSU branch president David Ritchie said the union have raised a number of concerns, including staff wages. 

“The university has been engaging in some reconstruction which have led to small redundancies, but the university’s ceased bachelor of arts and liberal art degrees, remains highly problematic,” he said. 

"12 or 13 staff have been made redundant and I’m not convinced from the union perspective that it relates to the course and this is occurring in a number of universities; it’s an ideological issue rather than a reduction in the requirement of the course.

“The huge STEM focus is problematic as philosophy, ethics and politics are significant contextual issues and it’s a shame because these issues affect us in society. 

“Transport, population density and the impact of technology on our daily lives, without these people will lose the ability to challenge and question which is a core part of our society.” 

Dr Ritchie argued that the university is being led by the leadership rather than teachers who are on the frontline. 

“The fact that the vice-chancellor can be rewarded, while some are losing their livelihoods especially in rural communities, is just not fair,” he said. 

"It’s becoming corporatised without considering the quality of the learning and the learning outcomes.

"The number of programs CSU used to provide in communications, theatre, journalism and teaching were highly regarded, but I think the uni has moved away from the professions.”

Dr Ritchie said job security in the last agreement was more important than a pay increase. 

“The extent to which staff are moving away from continuing positions to insecure work, is concerning for workers,” he said. 

“The one thing staff have said is that university leadership is poor with communication of their decisions, and that staff input is not considered. 

“It has become an endemic style of direction, neo-liberal ideology of controlling the workforce rather than engaging them.” 

Retired vice-chancellor Ken Dillon said he was not aware of these claims and therefore declined to comment.