Progressive PSA Homepage at www.progressivepsa.org or http://go.to/ppsa

TAFE Bills an attack on your pay and conditions

The Commonwealth Government intends to make TAFE funding dependent on compliance with its anti-worker legislation. Delegates are currently reading the Skilling Australia's Workforce Bill 2005 and Skilling Australia's Workforce (Repeal and Transitional Provisions) Bill 2005 . Delegates and PSA officials are meeting with DET and TAFE management on Wed 18 June. DET & TAFE delegates are scheduled to meet on 3 June.

ATCs: another attack on your pay and conditions

The Federal Government will spend $289 million over four years establishing 24 new Australian Technical Colleges to operate outside state education systems and the union movement.

It is claimed that the ATCs will address skill shortages in regional areas by taking in senior school students. However, PSA Central Councillor Leon Parissi says "All the stated educational claims for the new colleges could easily and more cheaply be accomplished in existing schools or technical colleges".

Leon Parissi
Central Councillor
"The $289 projected in the Budget for establishing the ATCs could be better spent in the existing system. It is substantially less than the amount that the Commonwealth Government has taken out of the TAFE system over recent years by refusing to fund for growth of the system.
"TAFE and Public schools have been short-changed by around $592 million over the last 5 years. The proportion of total Government expenses allocated to NSW Department of Education and Training dropped from 26.06% of total government expenses in 1999-2000 to 24.48% in the 2004/2005 budget."

"Public schools and technical colleges for school students have been successful in delivering vocational courses and are only limited by the provision of government funds.

"When you look at how the new system will be run the real agenda emerges. According to the ATC web site:

"The Australian Technical Colleges will operate autonomously, with a governing body chaired by a local business or industry representative and involving local communities. They will offer performance pay and must offer the option of an Australian Workplace Agreement to all staff in accordance with the Workplace Relations Act 1996."

"The real agenda of the Howard government is to find another way to impose its draconian anti-worker and anti-union agenda on the education industry.

"Although the government says that individual "performance pay" and Australian Workplace Agreements must be "offered" to all staff it is obvious to most observers that the only choice on offer will be 'take it or leave it'. No real choice at all.

"This is what the Coalition Government is trying to do to our members in universities. It says ALL new employees must go onto individual contracts (AWAs) and ALL remaining staff must be offered AWAs by mid next year otherwise they face funding cuts. Again, no choice for the supposedly "autonomous" universities or for the new colleges. And no choice for the prospective employees either."

"The Teachers Federation is also worried about the impact on public schools. Wendy Currie of the NSW Teachers Federation says ".. the real attack is on public schools. The colleges will draw their students from the local public schools whose numbers will be so diminished that they will not be able to offer a full curriculum to their remaining students”.