New Zealand university staff withhold grades in pay dispute

Staff at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand have begun withholding student grades as part of industrial action over stalled pay negotiations, raising the prospect of delayed examination results for thousands of students.

Members of the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) launched a partial strike on Wednesday, refusing to enter, process or release grades until December 1, although they are continuing to mark students' work. The action follows the university's offer of a 2% annual pay rise for two years, along with a one-off payment of $3,000. Union representatives say the proposal falls short of staff expectations and does not adequately address rising living costs or concerns over retirement benefits.

Annick Masselot, a law professor and member of the union's bargaining team, said negotiations had been underway since May but had failed to produce an acceptable agreement. She said the university's offer was the lowest among New Zealand universities and would amount to a real-terms pay cut for staff.

"In real terms for us it's a pay cut," Masselot said, adding that the university was also seeking to reduce retirement provisions, a condition she said had not featured in negotiations at other universities. Masselot described the proposal as a setback for staff employment conditions, arguing that it failed to reflect the rising cost of living and the growing demands placed on university employees.

The industrial action could leave students waiting longer than usual for their results, potentially disrupting their academic plans. However, Masselot said staff were keen to avoid placing students in a difficult position and would welcome an opportunity to end the strike if the university presented an improved offer.

She acknowledged that the university had experienced a significant influx of students in recent years, bringing increased pressure on academic staff and university resources. "There has been an incredible influx of students at the university in the past few years," she said, adding that staff had continued to deliver a strong campus experience despite mounting workloads. "With the increase of students, there is the increase of work, and of course there are all the resources that should go with it, which the university is not providing, and not valuing."

A University of Canterbury spokesperson told Checkpoint that end-of-year examinations had concluded on Saturday and marking of assessments was underway. The university said it recognised and valued the contributions of its staff and remained committed to negotiating in good faith with union representatives. It said discussions were continuing in an effort to reach a fair and sustainable agreement.