Higher Education

Nelson refuses to budge on uni blackmail

By David Carey
Federal Secretary (SPSF Group) - CPSU Joint National Secretary

The union covering university general staff throughout Australia today criticised the Federal Governments refusal to back down on linking more than $400 million in university funding to non-union pay deals

Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson has announced almost 30 amendments to the legislation.

Federal Secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) David Carey said Dr Nelson had lost a chance to show he was "in charge" of the higher education agenda.

"By keeping the cash for Australian Workplace Agreements policy he has shown that he is prepared to be an ideological warrior for the anti- union faction in Cabinet," Mr Carey said.

"He has kept the anti-union policy, which has nothing to do with the quality of university education, or how teachers and staff do their job, and made the funding of student places dependent on their anti-union agenda."

"The Minister had lost the chance to show that he could tell the difference between policies that improved higher education and those that were anti-union agendas of John Howard and Tony Abbott."

Debate on the package will begin in the Senate next week. The Democrats, Greens and Labor members of a Senate committee have said they opposed the measures.

Tasmanian independents Shayne Murphy and Brian Harradine, One Nation's Len Harris and the Australian Progressive Alliance's Meg Lees now hold the key to the legislation's passage

© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/latest_news/higher_ed/20031118_university.html
Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005