University of Newcastle
Posts tagged with NSW
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NTEU protests call for the restoration of $2.3bn cut from higher education
Over 700 protestors called for the restoration of the latest $2.3bn cuts to university and student funding at a rally this afternoon in Sydney’s Victoria Park. Staff from the University of ...
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Happy May Day—join us on Sunday to highlight union achievements and protest cuts to university funding
Happy May Day to all NTEU members! May Day is a celebration of the achievements and continuing struggles of the Union movement. On this day, and in the days following, Unionists from all sectors will come together to show solidarity with each other and the campaigns we’re involved in.For the NTEU, this means working with other unionists to highlight our Uni Cuts, Dumb Cuts campaign.
As you know, NTEU is campaigning vigorously against cuts to university funding announced by the federal government. Today, full-page advertisements have appeared in major newspapers signed by over 1000 university professors and associate professors supporting our campaign.
In NSW, NTEU has been working with the broader movement to revitalise May Day and emphasise the important role unions play in the community. It has also been a fantastic opportunity for us to discuss university funding with our colleagues from other unions.
We’d like to invite all NTEU members to join us at the Sydney May Day rally on Sunday.
We’ll be meeting at the top of Martin Place, under the NTEU flags, at 11.15. At 11.30 we will join everyone outside Parliament House, and take part in the March at 12 noon.
This is an opportunity to have a fun day in the city with your family, support the NTEU funding cuts campaign, and show solidarity with other unions whose support we will need in the coming period.
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Uni Staff Have Nothing Else To Give
This article was originally published on the New Matilda web site: http://newmatilda.com/2013/04/16/uni-staff-have-nothing-else-give
Improvements to funding and equity for primary and secondary school education are essential. These should not be achieved by slashing the resources available for a quality university education.
After the Government stripped $1 billion out of universities in the mid-year economic statement, the first major statement of the new Higher Education Minister Craig Emerson was to make a further $2.3 billion cuts to the sector. Around $1.3 billion of this will be borne by students – with the rest to come from an “efficiency dividend” of 2 per cent on payments to universities.
Let us be very clear: this $900 million reduction is not an “efficiency dividend”. The federal government is not our shareholder and our institutions do not have profits to distribute to them or anyone else. This change is a cut to university core funding.
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The video university management won’t want you to see
It is the day after the 48-hour strike at Sydney University and I’m reflecting on the strength and passion of NTEU members.
We care deeply about the future of the higher education sector. This is why addressing insecure employment is a key claim for NTEU members in this round of bargaining.
It is also why the decision to take industrial action is never made lightly. Only after careful consideration—and following very poor response from management—do we take action.
I want to share with you an inspiring video made by Sydney University staff, so you can hear first hand why they decided to take action to protect the university.Dear Michael - An open letter to the Vice Chancellor
This campaign is not just about Sydney University—these are issues we are facing right across the sector.
Because of this, I’m asking you to share this video with your friends, colleagues and networks. Help us distribute this very clear message: As staff, we are the people building universities for the 21st century—in practice as well as in imagination.
You can view this video, and the open letters they are based on, on our Sydney University Branch website. -
NSW Bluestocking Week Events
NTEU and the National Union of Students (NUS) are revitalising blue stocking week—an opportunity to celebrate and campaign around women’s participation in higher education.
Bluestocking ...
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NTEU NSW trials new ACTU training for delegates
We value the work of our delegates and recognise the vital role they play in our union, which is why we endeavour to ensure our delegates and activists feel trained, confident and supported in their work.
The ACTU has been developing a new online system for delegate training, which was launched at ACTU Congress this morning. Based on our recent work with delegates, NTEU NSW Division was chosen to help trial these modules. Delegates Sue and Ben took part in the training and provided feedback.
As a union leader I think this is a great initiative. Online training is not a replacement for face-to-face training, but it does offer another way for unions to better support delegates in their role.
NTEU NSW Division views delegate development and support as a key priority, which is why we have launched a new handbook and quarterly publication for delegates this year. We have also developed introductory training sessions for delegates that are regularly held in the NSW Division Office.Later this week, we will be launching a new section on our website that provides information about how NTEU members can get involved in union activities.
With the help of our members, activists and delegates we hope to build the NTEU and provide members with the best possible representation at work. -
Higher education workers support teachers in their fight against casualisation
It has been reported this week that nearly 20,000 new primary and secondary teachers will need to be employed over the next five years to replace staff reaching retirement.
This comes as proposed NSW government reforms will hand control of staffing to local principals, allowing them to replace long-serving, permanent teachers with casual and short-term arrangements.
NSW Teachers Federation President, Maurie Mulheron, is concerned recent graduates will be exploited to achieve a cheaper workforce. He said:
“What we will have is a totally deregulated staffing structure, with an increasing number of temporary positions, no incremental pay scale and no guaranteed executive structure."
''The department and the minister see this as a golden time. They can exploit the fact there are a lot of young people coming in and a cheaper workforce. But they can also change the culture by putting them on short-term or casual arrangements. We're extremely worried about the future of the profession.''
The attacks facing NSW teachers are similar to those faced by higher education staff. Our sector has already seen a dramatic increase in precarious employment, with as many as 77,000 staff in Australian universities employed as casuals. Large-scale casualisation has begun to undermine the sustainability of the academic profession in Australia.
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NTEU vows to fight deep job cuts across three major unis
The National Tertiary Education Union will fight deep job cuts at the University of Sydney, the University of NSW and Macquarie University, announced by management in recent days.
340 ...
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NTEU publishes green universities report
The Functional Dynamics of Green Universities was written by John Rafferty and Carolyn O’Dwyer of Charles Sturt University, with support of the NTEU NSW Division. It came out of a NSW union conference in late 2010, which examined the potential contribution of workers in the education and services industries to promote sustainability within their workplaces and their unions.
The impetus for this report came from NTEU members who wanted to unpack some of the language around sustainability initiatives and green scorecards on campuses and develop a model for ongoing engagement. The writers issue a challenge to the Australian higher education sector to broaden and intensify its efforts for sustainability and embed these into their culture and practices.The report is available for download below and from www.pushingtheboundaries.org.au/reports
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NTEU at the Secure Jobs, Better Future launch
UWS casual academic, Chris Elenor, spoke about his experiences as a casual worker at the launch of the ACTU’s Secure Jobs, Better Future campaign yesterday.
While national figures indicate that 40% of the Australian workforce is employed in some form of insecure work, the situation is even more stark in higher education. Recent research has revealed that 60% of the academic workforce in universities is employed on a casual basis.
Secure Jobs, Better Future is a national campaign to improve the rights and working lives of Australians employed in insecure work. More information about the campaign can be found here.
Chris Elenor is the newly elected chair of the NTEU National Academic Casuals Committee. Some of his experiences as a casual worker were published yesterday in SMH online.
