NTEU Congratulates Minister Nelson on Ernie Award Coup
12 August, 2005
Every so often a Government MP makes a statement that goes past the rhetoric and spin with which we have become accustomed and reveals what they’re really thinking. The National Tertiary Education Union is pleased that such a statement from Education Minister Brendan Nelson resulted in him being a stand-out nominee for the Ernie Award in the political category and offers the Minister hearty congratulations on his achievement.
Nelson was awarded the gong at the annual Ernie Awards (for sexist behaviour or remarks in the public domain) which were held last night at NSW Parliament and hosted by NSW upper house President, Meredith Burgmann.
Nelson appeared on the 7:30 Report earlier this year to promote the virtues of his Government’s proposal to dismantle student organisations at Australian universities. Asked for his opinion on comments from several Vice Chancellors who had pointed out that on-campus child care services provided by student organisations would disappear, he responded:
“You expect the vice chancellors to say that but I say to them: if they can afford to pay their academics nine months' maternity leave and if child care needs subsidising on campus I would be most surprised if they weren't prepared to subsidise that in some way”.
“By characterising provision of paid parental leave in the University sector as a wasteful extravagance on the part of University Vice Chancellors, Brendan Nelson reveals the low priority given by his Government to work-life balance issues, despite making endless promises to look at ways to address it” said Chris Game, State Secretary of the NTEU, the Union representing academic and general staff in Universities. Delivering on the NTEU’s full claim of 36 weeks maternity leave is costing universities only between 0.3% and 0.7% of payroll, and nearly all universities have at least substantially accepted this standard as the norm for the industry.
“With the Howard Government’s continued refusal to act to improve the work life balance of Australian families, you would think that they would commend any employer which themselves funded an arrangement to allow mothers access to paid leave” she said.
“While NTEU members have campaigned hard to improve parental leave entitlements, in many cases the management of Universities have rightly seen paid parental leave and other family friendly entitlements as a means to help them attract and retain skilled staff and help their University continue to deliver excellence in research and teaching. It goes towards provision of resources thus ensuring that our best and brightest minds are encouraged and able to continue their work, even if they decide to have a family” Ms Game said.
Nelson’s comments are also a kick in the teeth for University staff and students who are already dealing with waiting lists of years at University child care centres. Amongst the 4000 jobs which are threatened as a direct result of Voluntary Student Unionism legislation are hundreds of child care workers.
“Nelson and his Government colleagues have ripped over $2.5 billion from universities since 1996, and he still seems to think that universities will be able to meet the shortfall in services resulting from VSU without research and teaching suffering” concluded Ms Game.
For further
information or comment
contact:
Chris Game, Secretary, NTEU NSW, (02) 9212 5433, 0418 007
612
To arrange an interview with university staff who have spent years on child care waiting lists and will be affected by the destruction of organisations on campus, contact Paul Doughty (NTEU Organiser) on 9212 5433 or 0418 290 945.