Wintec tutors make a noise

Cheers and toots from passing cars could be heard on Hamilton's Ward and Victoria Sts yesterday afternoon as people showed support to 40 rowdy Wintec tutors and supporters protesting moves to change their working conditions.

The Wintec tutors are among those from six polytechnics who have been taking industrial action since September when negotiations between the Tertiary Education Union (TEU) and the employers broke down. The negotiations began in May this year over proposed changes to a collective agreement such as increasing the number of possible teaching days in a year and the potential loss of four weeks of discretionary leave.

The latest industrial action to withhold marks has angered some students.

Wintec tutor and TEU branch president Susan Bennett said tutors were still marking the work, but had decided not to enter the grades into the system. She said the action would not impact on students at this stage because they were not due to get their results yet. "We have been pushed into a corner and the last thing we want to do is disrupt students."

Other action taken by the 250 union members at Wintec has included full-day strikes and lightning strikes.