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UNSW plan to slash general staff August 2006 - New Vice Chancellor Fred Hilmer says he wants to outsource 100 cleaning and security personell and use voluntary redundancies to eliminate another 300-400 general staff positions. He says the money will be diverted to research. Adrienne Harris, CPSU Branch President, says "Staff are angry and ready to fight. They don’t see why they have to bear the brunt of bad management, poor leadership and the callous indifference of the Federal Government." "The Uni appears to have been planning this for some time but has waited until the new enterprise agreement took effect." "Fundamental job security and consultative provisions have been removed by the Government's Work Choices laws and HEWRRs". "The potential magnitude of job loss, the lack of information and the proposed time frame, is devastating and extreme. If this is allowed to happen it will have a crippling effect on the University, which made a $16.589 million surplus in 2005, and threatens its ability to continue as a competitive and viable educational institution." "The University is legally obliged to provide details of the proposed changes and must consider all options to avoid job losses. We don’t believe they have done so. The University has failed to disclose what services will be lost, what the new structure will be or how students and the community will be affected. We will be encouraging all staff, students and the community to support our campaign to fight the cuts." he Union will be holding an all General Staff forum on Tuesday 29 August and will campaign to fight the loss of jobs at the University. See article in Sydney Morning Herald. University IR laws pass Senate November 2005 - On the same day the Federal Government rammed its IR laws through the lower House, its bill linking higher education funding to IR changes passed through the Senate. The Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Workplace Relations Requirements) Bill 2005, cuts public funding to universities by $280 million by 2007 unless collective agreements made after April 2005 comply with the 'Higher Education Workplace Relations Requirements' (HEWRRs). HEWRRS requires that: AWAs be offered to all new employees from April this year, and to all other employees by August next year; agreements must include a clause allowing AWAs to prevail over certified agreements (previously a pre-existine collective agreement prevailed); unions' may only bargaining or involve themselves in policies and practices where they are invited by an "affected employee"; no agreement limits the forms or mix of employment arrangements (eg restricting the proportion of casual or untenured staff); performance pay schemes are introduced; and no Government funds are used to fund union salaries, facilities, or activities (ie we will have to rent offices on campuses). UNSW Day of Action UNSW CPSU members rally on 29 June 2005 In a show of strength more than 150 UNSW General staff rallied in support of collective bargaining and in opposition to individual workplace agreements. This is an excellent turn out given the lousy weather, the fact that university is not in session and that staff were asked to turn out only a few weeks ago for the National Day of Action. It is a clear sign that our message is beginning to get out. Another postive sign is that the campaign is generating a new layer of activists. Congratulations to the members and organisers for their excellent work. National Day of Action - Unis and TAFE 1 June 2005 - Across the nation members of all campus unions rallied to protest the Coalition's attempt to force Universities and TAFE to adopt their anti-worker policies. Sydney Institute of TAFE and UTS members rally at Broadway Sydney Institute of TAFE members meet at Ultimo campus Sydney Uni, UTS and SIT (TAFE) members arrive at Belmore Park in Sydney Lindsay O'Keefe, UNSW CPSU Branch President addresses staff at UNSW Tom McDonald, former National Secretary of the BWIU addresses staff at UNSW UNSW staff discuss the impact of the proposed legislation over a BBQ Stop works and rallies across Australia Eight universities had stop work actions and all others participated in rallies and public meetings. See the article from The Australian newspaper (1 June 05). Gov't coerces Unis to offer individual work contracts The Commonwealth Government has announced its second attempt to force Universities to adopt anti-worker arrangements. Workplace Relations Minister Kevin Andrews announced that, effective immediately, Universities must ensure the following if they want to receive Commonwealth funds: • all new employees to be offered AWAs (individual contracts) and by 31 August 2006 all other employees must be offered an AWA. • every new certified agreement must contain a clause allowing AWAs to operate to the exclusion of the certified agreement. This is a trick that has been used by other Commonwealth employers to overcome the 'first in time' principle. Under this principle, if a certified agreement is made before an AWA is signed then it prevails over the AWA to the extent that there is any inconsistency. • unions be bypassed in any consultation unless the affected member requests union representation. • certified agreements and policies not limit the number or proportion of staff that are fixed term, part time or casual, nor limit in any way university decisions about course offerings. (published 29 April 05) CPSU members to fight Newcastle job cuts The CPSU has established a campaign team to fight the 20% job cuts announced by University management. Meetings of staff, students and concerned community groups will be called to minimise job losses. CPSU Branch President, Trevor White says: "If this is allowed to happen it will have a crippling effect on the University of Newcastle and threatens it's ability to continue as a competitive and viable educational institution. It will also have a massive flow on effect costing the Hunter region at least $20 million" The CPSU has coverage of over 1500 General Staff at the University of Newcastle. "Staff are angry but they are prepared to fight. They don't see why they have to bear the brunt of bad management, poor leadership and the callous indifference of the Federal Government." (May 2005) Straight from the horses mouth Read what the Commonwealth Government thinks about industrial relations in Universities. The website of the Minister for Workplace Relations has 2 interesting articles: 1. Evolution or Revolution: Workplace relations; leadership and management in higher education; and 2. Modernising workplace relations in our universities Commonwealth takeover of Univerisities? Education Minister, Brendan Nelson has released a discussion paper proposing the transfer of primary legislative responsibility of universities from the states to the Commonwealth. Please read the paper and send us your thoughts to us at universities@progressivepsa.org. NSW Gov't legislation a threat to University autonomy The NSW Government proposes to increase the number of appointments it can make to University governing boards at the expense of positions elected by graduates. Uni staff unhappy with pay offer Academic and general staff at the University of Wollongong are protesting at graduation ceremonies over the employer's second rate pay offer. UNSW increases HECS by 25% UNSW is the latest Uni to raise student fees but students say the money raised isn't worth the pain it inflicts on them. NT Uni Strike More than 1500 staff at Charles Darwin University are threatening industrial action because the university is unwilling to meet their demands for a pay rise. $663 HECS to be extracted from students over the next 4 years University students nationwide will pay an extra $663 million in HECS fees over the next four years under the Federal Government's new higher education policy, according to education department estimates. Enterprise bargaining: summary of all unis. Follow this link for a summary of where each university is up to with enterprise bargaining. UTS Enterprise Agreement March 2004 General staff at the University of Technology, Sydney have voted to accept an enterprise agreement providing for a 19% increase, compounded to 20.5 per cent over three years, with 20 weeks paid parental leave. This compares with 18% and 36 weeks parental leave at the University of Sydney. The agreement also makes provision for 20 weeks paid maternity leave (up from 12) and $4000 of retraining on return to work. PSA officials who double as representatives of the state branch of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) have recommended that general staff accept the offer despite the NTEU having concerns about the amount of maternity leave (ANU offers 26 weeks) and replacement of disciplinary committees with a single investigating officer. The proposed agreement will place more emphais on redeployment than retrenchment and will lift the maximum redundancy payment from 52 to 78 weeks. 36 weeks Maternity Leave for Sydney Uni – full story Unions have secured the equivalent of 36 weeks' maternity leave on full pay for academic and general staff at Sydney University. The deal triples the current entitlements. It provides for 14 weeks' paid maternity leave, followed by 38 weeks at 60 per cent pay. It will also provide a 20 per cent pay rise over three years, a cap on casual staff numbers and a commitment to limit teaching loads. More like a business Gerard Noonan Sydney Morning Herald December 6 Life in the lecture theatre or laboratory for the nation's 31,000 lecturers, tutors and researchers will not be radically changed in the immediate aftermath of the Nelson changes but the increased commercialisation of the sector will inevitably change academic life. Brendan Nelson failed in his bid to force universities to offer AWAs to their academic staff before being entitled to more than $400 million of the overall package. Earthquake in academia Sydney Morning Herald December 6 Outline of changes in the aftermath of the Nelson changes. ALP pledges to abolish full-fee places Samantha Maiden The Australian December 6 Higher education changes that increase HECS fees and allow rich students to "queue jump" into university would be overturned under a Labor government. Flagging the $2.4 billion Nelson reform package as a major election issue, Labor deputy leader Jenny Macklin said she would abolish $100,000 full-fee degrees for students. Uni funding peril: secret report Sydney Morning Herald November 06, 2003 Commonwealth Government documents show it had been warned that forcing universities to rely on increased student fees would lead them to cut courses and close campuses. Fed’s Workplace Relations Plan Stymied at the Australian National University Heads of Agreement for the Australian National University Signed Unions at the Australian National University have completed formal negotiations for a new closed and comprehensive Enterprise Agreement pre-empting any attempts by the Federal Government to impose the compulsory introduction of Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs) into the Higher Education workforce. While union activity over the past weeks, including industrial action at campuses such as Sydney University, has significantly weakened the government’s chances of imposng the draconian workplace changes linked to further university funding, the ANU agreement has effectively stymied their application at that worksite. More Uni unions united in their fight against Coalition's attacks The Federal Government's attempts to link university funding with removal of worker and union entitlements is meeting resistance from campus unions. The draconian requirements, include a ban on limiting casual staff, and the stripping of entitlements such as maternity leave and redundancy payments. The Government also wants to force the introduction of Australian workplace agreements (AWA’s) on universities. They want to ban pattern bargaining and make legitimate forms of industrial action illegal. The Government also says it wants to introduce a “Voluntary Student Unionism” bill which would effectively silence the political voice of students. However a campaign by the PSA/CPSU and the National Tertiary Education Union (supported by five other unions: the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union; Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union; Australian Education Union; Australian Services Union; and the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union) plus the National Union of Students appears to be forcing a backdown on some of the proposals. Indications remain that the Government is determined to force its requirements that universities offer staff AWA’s as part of any enterprise bargaining agreement. This issue in particular, makes a mockery of the Governments supposed interest in “freedom of association” and coupled with the punitive VSU legislation, it is a strong indication of this Government's determination to weaken the voice of unions across the country. All universities in NSW were subject to strike action by academic and general staff. Click here for pictures of the 16 October 2003 Universities rally. Monk Aims Muscle at Unis Workers Online 26 September 2003 Eleventh-hour Federal government intervention has scuttled a deal for staff at Australia’s oldest university provoking workers into direct action to protect their pay and conditions. Sydney Uni staff to strike over workplace changes Sydney Morning Herald September 25 2003 By Aban Contractor and Linda Doherty Strikes and a range of work bans will begin soon at universities across the country in response to the Federal Government's attempts to impose workplace changes in exchange for $404 million in funding. Uni changes won't last, inquiry told Sydney Morning Herald September 23 2003 By Aban Contractor The Federal Government's controversial higher education plan was "not sustainable", the vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, Gavin Brown, told a Senate inquiry yesterday. In its current form the plan would be eroded by inflation and universities would still need periodic injections of additional funds to survive, he said. Fostering flexible and responsive workplaces? The relevant section of the recent policy review of university funding by the Federal Government (laughingly titled: Our Universities, Backing Australia’s Future) contains elements that directly links funding levels to compliance by university administrations to the Governments Workplace reforms. Click here for the full Policy Paper. Resources Higher Education Report for the 2003-2005 Triennium For a PDF version of the entire 2003-2005 Report of the proposed changes to Higher Education click here. ACU Agreement This is the agreement that made headlines for its enhancements to maternity leave. View the Australian Catholic University General Staff Agreement Workplace Bullying The Qld Dept of Industrial Relations has released an issues paper on Workplace Bullying setting out the grounds for its bullying taskforce inquiry. Details: http://www.whs.qld.gov.au/taskforces/bullying/bullingpaper.pdf Workplace Bullying and harassment is a serious occupational health and safety issue as well as an equal employment opportunity issue. See our Bullying and Harassment page for resources & information Women & the public sector Women, Unions and the NSW Public Sector Read, Contribute, Participate Would you like to make a resource or story available to other CPSU/PSA members or join our free email list for news and views delivered directly to your desktop? Simply email us at universities@progressivepsa.org Contact the Progressive PSA at: universities@progressivepsa.org Progressive PSA brings together rank and file trade union activists in the CPSU (SPSF Branch) and the Public Service Association of New South Wales. We work for improved and more equitable pay greater job security sustainable jobs in a sustainable environment a democratic and strong union