Australian National University (ANU) has made a $17 million land purchase despite claiming it cannot afford to give staff a fair pay rise.
ANU will on Thursday announce it will buy land between the existing campus in Canberra and Marcus Clarke Street.
The decision has been made while staff are being denied a pay rise in line with colleagues at other universities around Australia.
ANU management has proposed a pay offer well below the National Tertiary Education Union’s (NTEU) reasonable claims during enterprise bargaining.
NTEU members at ANU have voted to go on a half-day strike on July 27, which is set to be the first time staff will walk off the job since 1999.
NTEU ACT Division Secretary Dr Lachlan Clohesy said industrial action would go ahead unless ANU could give the same priority to staff as it did multi-million dollar land deals.
"Staff have been told that the ANU is losing money, and that the cupboard is bare," Dr Clohesy said.
"This demonstrates that the ANU can find money when they want to for land. We're also demanding they give similar priority to staff and students.
"With this land purchase, ANU's claims that the cupboard is bare are difficult to believe.
"ANU have offered staff a pay rise which, if accepted, would be the worst negotiated outcome in the sector.
"ANU is a wealthy university and can afford to pay staff fairly.
"Unless ANU similarly prioritises giving staff a fair pay rise, staff at the ANU will strike on July 27."
Contact details:
Matt Coughlan 0400 561 480