FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BLAME FOR RMIT JOB LOSSES
MEDIA RELEASE
31 August 2006
Seventy nine jobs being lost from the RMIT Union, as reported in The Age today, are a direct result of the federal government’s Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) laws, NTEU RMIT Branch President Jeanette Pierce said today.
“The affect of the VSU legislation is that important services for students are having to be cut because RMIT can no longer charge a compulsory service fee, and as a result jobs are being lost,” Ms Pierce said.
“Doesn’t the government realise that these are real people with families and mortgages that are losing their jobs? And all because of the government’s pursuit of an ideological ‘sacred cow’ about making the fees that students pay for these services voluntary.”
“But most universities are unable or unwilling to make up the shortfall, which is why we are seeing services cut and jobs lost across the whole country.”
For further information and comment:
Jeanette Pierce, NTEU RMIT Branch President 0438 706 508