Media Release: NTEU Members to Protest at UNSW Council Meeting
National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) and other union members will protest outside the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Council meeting on Monday 13 December at 2pm, as part of an on-going campaign to win back better job security and other conditions stripped away by the Howard Government.
The protest will follow a UnionsNSW “Better Services for a Better State” Rally to be held on the University’s Library Lawn at 11.30am.
“This protest and the campaign has been necessitated by the University’s refusal, after two years of bargaining, to agree to limits on the use of fixed-term employment and casual employment as part of new enterprise agreements,” NTEU Assistant National Secretary Matthew McGowan said today.
“Since limits were stripped away in the previous agreements, there has been an explosion in insecure employment at UNSW. Between 2005-2009, only 4 per cent of new jobs at UNSW were offered as continuing employment.”
Mr McGowan said that 39 UNSW staff members so far have been stood down indefinitely for imposing bans on the transmission of results, to pressure the University to reach agreement.
“Thirty two other Australian universities have so far agreed to reinstate these provisions, including all of the other Group of Eight universities. UNSW isn’t so different or unique that its staff deserve inferior job security and conditions to their colleagues elsewhere. UNSW is risking its reputation, the quality of education delivered, and its ability to attract and retain high quality staff,” said Mr McGowan.
NTEU UNSW Branch President Sarah Gregson said today “We thank our colleagues at UnionsNSW for holding the ‘Better Services’ Rally at the University tomorrow. It’s a strong show of support for NTEU members, and especially the courageous staff members who have been stood down and are resisting strong pressure from the University to end the bans.”
Speakers at the Rally include Mr McGowan and NSW Greens MP John Kaye, who moved the resolution passed unanimously by the NSW Legislative Council last week, condemning the UNSW Vice-Chancellor for failing to reach a new enterprise agreement.
For further information and contact:
Matthew McGowan, NTEU Assistant National Secretary, 0417 054 110
Sarah Gregson, NTEU UNSW Branch President, 0421 641 439
For further information about the “Better Services for a Better State” Rally:
Paul Doughty, UnionsNSW, 0418 290 945
Comments
[ +7 ] "when this is over I hope the NTEU thanks all the students for being patient"
Like • Dislike •so agree with u, random unsw student!
"the only reason this board doesnt have thousands of angry student comments is because theres no clear link to it from the main unsw web page"
that's probably why they didn't put it there.
[ -3 ] when this is over I hope the NTEU thanks all the students for being patient. Seriously the only reason this board doesnt have thousands of angry student comments is because theres no clear link to it from the main unsw web page.
Like • Dislike •[ -9 ] mate, just bloody agree on something already. this is bloody ridiculous. either agree or someone should sack this fred hilmer character. what a joke.
Like • Dislike •[ -10 ] not really helpful but whenever i read VC Hilmer i always hear VC Himmler in my head.....first time i read his name i thought it was himmler to.
Like • Dislike •[ -2 ] It's about time we asked Hilmer to resign. Not reaching agreement after 2 years of stalled negotiations is not good enough. Kick the trash to the kurb, Hilmer should go!
Like • Dislike •