Polytechs resisting attempts to keep single collective agreement for sector, union says

The Tertiary Education Union is facing resistance from polytechnics in their efforts to establish a single collective employment agreement for the entire sector. The union has requested facilitated bargaining for a multi-employer collective agreement, or MECA, at the Employment Relations Authority. Assistant national secretary for industrial affairs, Daniel Benson-Guiu, explained that polytechnics have been covered by a single agreement since they were part of Te Pūkenga, the national skills and training institute.

As Te Pūkenga winds down, Benson-Guiu stated that there is no reason why a multi-employer collective agreement cannot be implemented, covering the 11 employers present in the sector - the 10 independent institutes and the group of four within Te Pūkenga, which will function as a federation of individual institutions. Although the employers may have slight differences in their interests, the sector's needs for staff employment and remuneration have remained relatively stable over the past few years.

However, the union has been struggling to negotiate a MECA. Currently, each employer claims they are vastly different from one another, making it impossible for them to share the same agreement. Despite this, the current agreement remains in force, and there are no reported issues on a day-to-day basis. Instead, the union believes that the employers are stalling in the negotiations and demanding individual agreements.

Ara polytechnic, one of the participating institutions, remains committed to bargaining in good faith but prefers a single-employer collective agreement, stating that it provides greater flexibility to address its specific operating environment and the needs of its staff. Existing terms and conditions continue to serve as the foundation for these discussions for Ara.

The union is also seeking a six percent pay rise for its members at six universities, including Auckland, Waikato, Massey, Victoria, Canterbury, and Otago. The union maintains that universities and polytechnics are under-funded, which has led to the closure of courses and campuses in both sectors, causing job insecurity for staff and students.