Status of new staff body queried

Press, 3 May 1984, Page 8

Status of new staff body queried

The newly formed New Zealand Association of University Staff may mean that some university staff will not have any legal protection. The executive secretary of the Association of University Teachers, Mr Rob Crozier, said yesterday that the new association could not be registered as an incorporated society. This was because objections which had been lodged by other university-based unions had been upheld by the Commercial Affairs Division of the Justice De-

partment. “This means that university staff affected may be forced to join an unincorporated society and they will consequently have no legal protection,” said Mr Crozier. The new association has been recognised by the Minister of State Services, Mr Thomson, as the organisation to represent nonacademic university staff. A national ballot of staff conducted by the Labour Department last December showed a clear majority favouring the formation of a

national organisation which has now been established. Mr Crozier said that although Mr Thomson said the majority of staff affected were “mainly clerical” a number of other occupational classes were included. In this group were people such as the professional staff of computer centres, student health and welfare services and personnel who were at present members of the Association of University Teachers. These people were employed on academic salaries and conditions. “The Minister has stead-

fastly refused to countenance the possibility of more than one organisation representing the staff concerned,” said Mr Crozier. This was in spite of continued calls from members of the Association of University Teachers who wished to continue being represented by that association, he said.

Mr Thomson was not available for comment last evening.