Wollongong sacking sparks international campaign in defence of enterprise agreement .....
27 April 2001
The National Tertiary Education Union, representing staff in Australian universities, has launched an international campaign to protest against the arbitrary sacking of Dr Ted Steele at the University of Wollongong, and the University's breach of its enterprise agreement.
The Union's National Executive, meeting in Melbourne today, launched the campaign with the distribution of a bulletin to all members outlining the issues involved in the campaign and the establishment of an international on-line petition. The petition can be accessed at http://www.nteu.org.au/rights/wollongong.html
Union President Carolyn Allport said that the issues raised by Steele's dismissal went to the heart of university employment.
`Apart from the fact that a staff member has lost his job and was denied due process; there are two factors that make this a matter of public importance. Firstly, by ignoring the agreed procedures for investigating serious misconduct, the University has violated the academic staff enterprise agreement. His actions clearly communicate his view that agreements between employers and staff are not worth the paper they're written on.'
`Secondly, by appointing himself judge, jury and executioner, and denying Ted Steele access to agreed processes, the Vice-Chancellor has shown contempt for academic freedom.'
`The procedures for investigating serious misconduct were developed largely because it was agreed that academic staff needed protection from summary dismissal. Such procedures involve laying of charges and the convening of a committee to hear them. Without such protection, staff will be constrained in speaking out, and there is no academic freedom. Without academic freedom, our universities lose their status as independent centres for teaching, research and the advancement of knowledge.'
`This is a blow to the international reputation of Australian universities. As Professor Ian Lowe said in a recent issue of New Scientist, `the reputation of the university system and the willingness of other countries to accept Australian graduates are at stake' (New Scientist, 17th March 2001).
`We will be calling on members of the community who care about workers' rights and public education to support this campaign, as well as students and staff in Australia and overseas.'