INFORMATION FOR THE MEDIA ABOUT THE OCTOBER 16 NATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION STRIKE
October 15 2003
General and academic staff from universities across Australia will take part in a national 24-hour strike tomorrow, Thursday October 16, to purse their bargaining claims and in protest at the Government’s proposal to deny universities $404 million in much needed funding unless they sign onto hardline workplace relations conditions.
Early indications are that the strike will be a major success and that many higher education institutions across the country will be completely shut down for the day.
The strike has the support of seven unions in the higher education sector, covering approximately 40,000 workers.
Pickets will begin across the country at 6.30am at university entrances and will continue until lunch time when staff, students and members of the general public will take part in a number of rallies and protest actions being organised by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) in State and Territory capital cities and major regional centres.
The strike and protest actions are aimed at publicising university staff’s concerns about the Government workplace relations proposals.
University staff, students and their supporters will rally tomorrow at the following locations around Australia (local time):
Melbourne 12 noon, public meeting at the Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins Street. The meeting will be addressed by Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President, and will be followed by a march to a festival at the Treasury Gardens.
Sydney Front lawns of the University of Sydney at 12 noon, followed by a march to Belmore Park and a rally at 12.30pm.
Adelaide 1pm, Brookman Building, University of South Australia City East Campus, corner Frome Road and North Terrace. NTEU Assistant General Secretary, Ted Murphy, will address the meeting.
Brisbane 12 noon, Emma Miller Place, Roma Street, Brisbane.
Hobart 12.15 pm, Parliament House lawn.
ACTU President Sharan Burrow will address strike University of Tasmania workers at 10.45am, at the Churchill Avenue entrance, Sandy Bay campus of the University of Tasmania.
Darwin 12 noon, Breezeway, Charles Darwin University.
Canberra 12 noon, outside the office of Gary Humphries, Liberal Party Senator for the Australian Capital Territory, 62 Northbourne Avenue, Civic Centre. NTEU General Secretary, Grahame McCulloch, will address the rally.
Jenny Macklin, Shadow Minister for Education, and Rosalyn Dundas, Democrat MLA for Canberra, will address striking University of Canberra staff at 10.15am, College Street, Belconnen.
Perth 12pm, Perth Cultural centre (outside the Art Gallery)
Events are also scheduled to take place in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Toowoomba, Newcastle, Wollongong and Armidale. More details are available from the NTEU website www.nteu.org.au//campaigns/higheredatrisk
All public meetings are open to the media.
FOR INFORMATION AND MEDIA COMMENT ON THE DAY
The National Tertiary Education Union National Office will be gathering information on the progress of the strike throughout the day, and will have the first comprehensive reports available to the media by approximately 1pm.
Information on the progress of the strike will be available by calling:
Andrew Nette, NTEU policy and Research Coordinator: 03 9254 1910 or 0438 026 277
Ken Mcalpine, NTEU Senior Industrial Advisor: 03 9254 1910 or 0418 357 499
Additional information and comment is available by calling:
Dr Carolyn Allport, NTEU President: 0419 349 064
Grahame McCulloch, NTEU General Secretary: 0418 322 620
Ted Murphy, NTEU Assistant General Secretary: 0419 517 288
To speak to Sharan Burrow, ACTU President, contact Jeremy Vermeesch, ACTU Media Officer on 0408 513 849