The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) has voted at a meeting today to continue strike action at the University of Sydney, and strike again on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 October.
There were around 200 members of staff present at the meeting, held on 14 September, and nobody voted against further strike action.
According to an an NTEU member, the meeting was “really vibrant” and attracted a lot of members, given it was only called this morning.
The 48 hour period of the strike, lasting for two consecutive days, marks a significant escalation in the NTEU’s campaign.
This decision follows a day of strike action at the University yesterday on 13 September, and strikes at Open Day on 26 August.
Yesterday’s strike was deemed successful by the NTEU; there was a ‘roaming picket’ of students walking around the University all day, and some buildings, such as the Chemistry Building, were closed.
The strikes are part of the NTEU’s ongoing negotiation of a new enterprise agreement with the University. The NTEU is asking for a 2.4 per cent annual pay rise, while the University is offering 2.1 per cent.