Thousands of university staff across Australia have walked off the job this week, escalating industrial action with a rally in Sydney. The strike reflects growing anger over casualisation and wage theft in the sector, which union leaders describe as the worst in decades.
University of Melbourne tutor Grady Fitzpatrick, a casual worker for nine years, said she risks her job by speaking out. She noted that insecure work prevents her from planning for the future or obtaining a mortgage. The National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) reports only three in 10 university jobs are permanent, making it one of the most casualised sectors in the country.
NTEU national president Alison Barnes said insecure work holds back careers and lives. She called for job security, reasonable workloads, and secure funding. Staff anger has been building since 2020 allegations of wage theft at 13 universities, leading to three federal inquiries. Reports include staff told to toss a coin for job retention, skim-read essays, or fired via Zoom.
Strikes occurred at James Cook University, University of Queensland, and multiple Victorian universities, with 1,000 staff and students marching in Melbourne. The National Union of Students called the action unprecedented. Staff from University of New South Wales, Newcastle University, Federation University, and Deakin University also joined.
The Australian Higher Education Industrial Association (AHEIA) defended employment practices, citing government figures showing 55% permanent staff. Executive director Craig Laughton said universities would offer more permanent roles if research funding were more certain. He also called for changes to redundancy provisions to reduce employer risk.
The NTEU estimates that insecure work and wage theft are linked, with the union vowing to continue fighting for job security. The strike is expected to expand further.
