21 October 1996 Lincoln University disappointed at staff decision

Lincoln University today expressed disappointment that staff had decided to take immediate strike action over salary claims.

University general staff and academic staff today voted to support a 24 hour strike action after rejecting the latest offers from the University for salary increases.

"It is very disappointing that staff have decided to penalise students in the last week of lectures by voting for strike action," said Professor Roger Field, Acting Vice-Chancellor.

"The final lectures of the semester are often critical to students in the build-up to their examinations and we are obviously concerned about the effects of this strike on students.

"We are also disappointed that an offer of salary increases has been rejected and strike action determined without further negotiation," Professor Field said.

Professor Field said that Lincoln University had made significant progress in negotiations with staff in recent weeks, but was constrained in its ability to make an even more generous offer to staff by the desire to minimise student fee increases and by projected reductions in Government funding for 1997.

"It is a well-known fact that universities in New Zealand are struggling to compensate for the effects on funding of Government policy to subsidise only a decreasing fraction of the total cost of university teaching," said Professor Field.

"The Government subsidy has been reduced annually since 1992."

The combined effects of reduced Government funding, inflation and reclassification of courses has reduced the value of Government funding to Lincoln University by $9 million in the years 1992-97. This represents more than 30% of the University's annual educational income.

"In this environment, it is important that the University maintains a fiscally responsible attitude towards all the factors that influence total University expenditure," said Professor Field.

"We hope that following the strike action by staff, negotiations will be able to proceed to bring about a satisfactory settlement to this issue."

Peter Dwan, Director of Community Relations, Lincoln University, Canterbury, Lincoln University.