| Select your State Union |
 |
|
 |
University Funding
Oct 16 wins support of all Higher Education Unions
09 October 2003
Seven unions covering university staff across Australia will be supporting the October 16th higher education strike to protest the Government's proposal to deny universities access to $404 million in funding unless they adopt a series of hard line industrial conditions, and to press home their claim
for enterprise agreements that do not contain the conditions.
"General staff that work in universities throughout Australian in a range of technical, professional, administrative, clerical and academic support positions are essential to the effective operation of universities," said David Carey, CPSU-SPSF Federal Secretary.
"The Government's industrial requirements, including forcing staff onto AWAs, would leave nonacademic staff without many of the protections union negotiated agreements provide such as maternity leave, overtime and penalty rates.
"It is our responsibility to our members to ensure that this Federal Government does not force universities into taking away many of the working conditions our members now have," said Carey.
"The decision represents an unprecedented level of cooperation on the part of trade unions in the
university sector, and demonstrates to the Government and university management the
determination of academic and general staff to resist Commonwealth meddling and protect the
independence of our public university system," said Grahame McCulloch, National Tertiary
Education Union (NTEU) General Secretary.
In addition to the NTEU and CPUS, the trade unions that have officially indicated that they will be supporting the October 16 strike are the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union; Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union; Australian Education Union; Australian Services Union; and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union.
"The Government's requirements do not deal with the real workplace issues facing academic and
general staff," said McCulloch. "Indeed, the requirements, including forcing university staff onto Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) and lifting limits on casual employment, will make the situation worse and erode the quality of education provided by our public university system."
|
